Penumbra
by waitingforspring
Summary: Set immediately after Sunset. After Hawkfrost's death, the Clans are about to plunge into war, and the Dark Forest wants its revenge as well. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight must set out on a quest to fight a dangerous legacy.
1. Foreword

**Foreword**

_There is a breach in the Dark Forest, menacing not only the waking world but also StarClan itself. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight must set out on a dangerous quest to seal it away once and for all._

This story is set immediately after _Sunset_, following the canon of the _New Prophecy_. One of the things why I wanted to write this is because I considered _Sunset_'s ending too abrupt, with lots of unanswered questions (that aren't cleared up even in _PO3_). Most importantly: why was Tigerstar the first and only cat from the Dark Forest who could walk in other cats' dreams? Is it a special power - and if yes, does it run in the family? What will Tigerstar and Hawkfrost do after their plan failed? Also, what will the Clan's attitude be towards Brambleclaw after he wanted to kill Firestar?

Furthermore, I wanted to do some justice to the Bramble x Squirrel pairing, as they are my favourites, but in the series they appear sort of a tragic couple (in _NP_, they hurt each other a lot, and the focus is on him being caught up in the schemes of his father; in _PO3_, they are forced to live a constant lie, and they eventually break up for good). The story is actually written from Brambleclaw's POV (except some short sections, like the _Prologue_ – these are in italic text).

Originally I intended this work to be a kind of 'super edition' covering the events between series 2 and 3; however, I later departed from the canon, reshaping the story to match my taste. So do not be surprised if you see some contradictions with _PO3_ (someone dying who shouldn't, something happening that shouldn't, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight having kits) – these are intentional. I never liked the _PO3_ so I can't care less - for me, _Warriors_ ends with the _New Prophecy_.

For a list of characters, check the Allegiances in _Sunset_. The story is divided into two parts: Chapters 1-12 take place by the lake (Brambleclaw learns what must he do, and some loose ends from _NP _are tied up), and Chapters 13-? present the journey and quest itself.

Any kind of constructive criticism is appreciated. If you read the story, please take a few seconds to send reviews or comments. It cannot be stressed enough how important is for an author to get feedback on their work.

**Author's note**

Most importantly, my first language is not English, so there might be grammar or style errors, and completing a chapter might take more time than it should. Apologies in anticipation, and feel free to suggest corrections, improvements and new ideas.

**Disclaimer**

This work is fan fiction. It is not commissioned or authorized by the original creators or publishers of the _Warriors_ series. It is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Alike 3.0 License (CC-BY-NC-SA).


	2. Prologue

**Prologue  
**

_A cold mist hung over the forest, grey tendrils swirling in the shadows like the arms of a forlorn, malefic being. The sky was not visible above, but even if it were, one would see only sinister black clouds drifting slowly from horizon to horizon. Starlight or moonlight never ever bathed this landscape – this was the Dark Forest, the Place of No Stars._

_A large cat stood unmoving in the middle of a clearing, ears pricked and mouth slightly open to taste the air, as if he was waiting for something – or someone. The only sources of light, besides the dimness from the sky above, were the sickly glowing fungi that grew on the black trunks of the twisted, leafless trees._

_A rustle of dry leaves, a cracking of a twig – noises that announced the arrival of another creature. The cat turned around to see a feline not unlike him emerging from between the misshapen trees. The newcomer padded up to him, and when they were finally next to each other, any cat could tell they were blood-related, even if the younger one had icy blue eyes instead of burning amber. The same gait, the same muscular bodies – and the same anger and disappointment flaming in both pairs of eyes._

_"Hawkfrost," grumbled the older cat. "I can see that you have finally joined me in my exile."_

_The younger cat sat down and dipped his head. His reply was almost inaudible. "Indeed so. I have failed. My brother betrayed us."_

_"Do not call him your brother," Tigerstar spat. "I do not recognize him as my son anymore. He is a traitor of all things what we have fought for._

_He started pacing restlessly around the clearing, as if he couldn't remain in one place without bursting from anger. His tail was lashing from side to side as he whipped around to stare again at his son._

_"He could have had everything," he growled. "He could have led all clans, together with you. And he threw it away, all of it, for his loyalty for that mangy kittypet of a leader. Just like my father, who, for the sake of some kittypet, gave up power, the warrior code, and all that was worth fighting for."_

_"Well," sighed Hawkfrost, "what is done is done. No use to dwell on it now. It is over." His anger gradually gave way to disappointment. _I failed, and now I am trapped for the eternity in this desolate landscape. Alone. I should have become deputy and leader by sticking to the warrior code, instead of rushing into it and losing everything.

_"No, my son," Tigerstar growled. "It is not over. It is just beginning."_

_A pair of blue eyes stared at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean? What can we do here?"_

"_Everything. This place holds many secrets, and we have all the time to discover them. Until we live on here, and live on for eternity, nothing is impossible." Tigerstar's voice was triumphant, anticipation replacing anger in his burning amber eyes. "We can be much more powerful here than we were in the living world. We will have our revenge on every cat turning their backs on us."_

_Hawkfrost's eyes suddenly gleamed with eagerness. "And what did you learn about this place? Can you teach me as well?"_

"_What did I? You already know at least one answer."_

_The younger cat pondered on what he heard for a few heartbeats, and then his ice blue eyes flared with recognition. "You can walk in the dreams of the living cats, as you did in mine. Talk to them. Teach them." He remembered how battered and scratched he was each time when he used to wake up after the training sessions in the Dark Forest, sparring with his father and his brother. "Hurt them. Even kill them."_

_Tigerstar flicked his tail over his son's shoulder, obviously proud of him. "Very good. Indeed, I can, whether they want it, or not. Not in every cat's dreams for now... but I will not give up until I break down every barrier."_

So we can sort at least Brambleclaw out_, Hawkfrost smirked. He was sure that his brother would get an unpleasant visitor in one of his dreams very soon._

_Tigerstar tensed, seemingly intrigued by some sound or smell Hawkfrost could not sense. He gazed intently in the shadows between the twisted trees on one side of the clearing. Hawkfrost uneasily pricked his ears and finally he thought he could hear some faint pawsteps on the wind, as if other creatures were stalking in the darkness. "Are there other cats besides us? Those who _are_ here... not just dreaming themselves here."  
_

"_Yes, there are. Those who did not gave up their ambitions and dreams to become powerful, to rule, to unite the clans. Many are here, but we seldom meet. Every cat must walk their path alone."_

_Hawkfrost tasted the air. He thought he could smell something – a ThunderClan cat maybe. But now everything was silent and dead again. Only some tendrils of mist swirled, disturbed by the cold breeze. He dismissed it as another question formed in his mind._

_"And those others... can they walk in the dreams of living cats too?"_

_"They cannot," Tigerstar answered. "The Clans would have heard of the Dark Forest a long time ago in that case. For some reason, it seems I am the only one who can influence the waking world."  
_

_"What about StarClan? Where are they? Are they close by?"_

_"I believe yes, but I have to learn more about this place. It seems to me that there is a..." he searched for the right word "...a border, a barrier of some sorts that separates their hunting grounds from ours. It might be the wall of mist I saw some days ago on one of my walks. We might be able to cross it, and they might be able to do it as well. We might be able to expand the influence of the Dark Forest in their hunting grounds."_

_Any cat would have been taken aback at the suggestion of taking on StarClan, but Hawkfrost was not born in the Clans, and never really followed their beliefs. He acknowledged the ancestors, but never feared or respected them. The only thing he could ask was "What would we gain from that? Surely we can't take them over, and I see no reason for doing so."_

_"I did not suggest attacking them or similar." meowed Tigerstar. "I was just describing an attribute of this place, and a possibility we must take note of. But," he added quietly, as if talking with himself, "there are some cats there as well I would like to have a word with. Traitors and kittypets." Hawkfrost thought his father was talking about Bluestar, the cat who exiled him from the clans. Or Pinestar, the one who surrendered his leadership to become a kittypet._

_By this time, the initial disappointment had disappeared long ago from their eyes, to be replaced by cold contemplation. For a while, they stood motionless in the middle of the clearing, both of them lost in their thoughts._

_A thin tendril of murky mist crept soundlessly between them, taking the shape of a tentacle probing at its surroundings, its arm lost between the shadows surrounding the clearing. Hawkfrost could not help thinking that it was living in some twisted way. Absent-mindedly he batted at it with his forepaw. As he touched it, he felt as if a dark, cold abyss wanted to sap his very soul. He jumped back, then retreated a further few steps as the tendril took the vague shape of a claw, reaching toward him, then slowly dissolving._

_"Yes, another of the many secrets of the Dark Forest," his father said wonderingly, while he watched intently the dispersing moisture._

_Despite all the secrets and plans, Hawkfrost was still not sure if he liked this place. He missed the waking world, and the presence of his Clan mates who respected him, looked up to him, expecting him to become deputy. He would still be there, if it wasn't for that foolish brother of his._

_"What will we do now? What is our plan, then?" he meowed finally._

_Tigerstar was pondering for a few heartbeats, then answered. "As for you, son, you must start to learn your way around this place. I will help you, but we will rarely meet. We must walk separate paths most of our time here. As for me," he continued, "the first thing is to pay a visit to Brambleclaw in his dream."_

_"That will be right. Make sure you teach him to suffer before you kill him." Hawkfrost growled._

_"Oh no, I won't kill him... yet. He is still valuable for me, he is my most important link to the waking world. Once I learn how to walk in any cat's dreams, I will not need him anymore, and you can be sure that he will die a horrible death. Next, we will teach Firestar and his daughter a lesson. And... we will see what to do after that."_

_He stood up and started walking towards the edge of the clearing. "I must leave you now, my son. Think about what I said. And do not forget – it is not over. It is just beginning."_

_As the large tabby vanished between the trees, Hawkfrost scrambled to his paws as well, stretched, then began walking in the opposite direction. He was eager to explore the landscape, although uneasiness still lingered within him. He thought about Brambleclaw's treason, and he hoped that some day he would be able to pay him back._

_He hissed aloud. "We will meet again, my brother. This is not over yet." For some reason, he was sure that down in the waking world, his brother could hear him._


	3. Chapter 1: A Decision Made

**Chapter 1  
**_A Decision Made_

For several heartbeats, I stood dumbfounded next to my leader, reality, memories and nightmares becoming one to form a dizzying vision. I saw the lake running red with blood in the morning sunlight, I saw glimpses of the shore intertwined with glimpses of the shadowy Dark Forest, and closing or opening my eyes did not help to block out the whirling images. I thought until the last moment that becoming a leader could have been achieved in a peaceful way, through helping and defending the Clan, instead of murdering everyone who might inadvertently stay in my way. Nevertheless, I did not choose the latter path, and I was sure that this had been the right decision.

Relief and anxiety chased each other in my mind. Relief, because of Firestar's words: he still considered me a worthy deputy for the Clan, even after he had seen how I hesitated just before, corrupted by the influence of his archrival. However, I resisted, and it was enough for him to see that I was loyal. I caught a hint of pride tempering the pain in his eyes. _I am loyal_, I said to myself. _I will not let myself tempted again, and I will protect my Clan and my leader with all costs_.

However, besides relief, anxiety nibbled at me as well. Somehow, I was sure that neither my father, nor my brother was finished with me. I could not help but keep thinking about what Tigerstar would do after his plan had failed. _Can he still haunt my dreams and trap me in the Dark Forest, even if I do not want to go there anymore?_

As if to confirm my apprehensions, I suddenly heard a voice from nowhere. _We will meet again, my brother. This is not over yet._ I shuddered, and felt as if I was submerging in a dark, icy lake. The image of the sunlit shore began altering once again with pictures of blood and vivid memories of the Dark Forest. I felt completely defenceless. _It is not over yet_.

At that moment, I heard the rustling of the undergrowth, and two cats emerged, skidding around the roots of a tree and coming to a halt just above the water's edge. It was Squirrelflight and Leafpool, two pairs of eyes staring at me in horror and anger. I realized they must have thought Firestar dead, and that it had been me who done this. I wanted to brace myself for their attack, but could not move.

Then Firestar opened his eyes. "It's okay. Hawkfrost set a trap for me, but Brambleclaw killed him," he whispered to his daughters.

Their horror was replaced by surprise and relief. Squirrelflight rushed to her father and crouched besides him, nosing him from ears to tail-tip. Leafpool padded past us towards the shore – obviously she had noticed the body near the water, or just wanted to check if there were other dangers around. She returned shortly, and began to assist her father, cleaning his bleeding neck wound. By that time, Firestar already managed to sit up. He was still in a bad shape, although he sat without flinching.

Squirrelflight padded up to me and pressed her muzzle to mine. "Oh, Brambleclaw," she meowed, "you saved my father... you saved the Clan. Sorry for ever doubting you."

I closed my eyes, calmed by her familiar scent. "You had every right to doubt me," was all I could tell as I recalled my ambition to rule the Clans, my visits to the Dark Forest, my hesitation to save the trapped ThunderClan leader. _But it will not happen again_, I vowed. _I will be worthy of your trust... of everyone's trust. Nothing will come between us anymore._

As she took a step back, distress flared in her emerald eyes. "You are wounded," she meowed in alarm. As the shock gradually vanished from my mind and my senses were alert again, I was finally overwhelmed with the searing pain of my wounds. There was a long, bleeding gash on my chest, ripped by Hawkfrost's claws when he was about to kill me.

"It's just a scratch," I assured her. I did not want her to worry, or to appear weak.

"It certainly isn't just a scratch, stupid furball," she said as she gently pushed me down on my back, and began cleaning it with quick licks. Leafpool, the medicine cat, was still attending to his father.

There were sounds of running cats, crashing through the undergrowth, and in a few moments, a large patrol emerged from the ferns. They must have heard that there had been some kind of trouble by the lake, and rushed to save their leader. They skidded to a halt, alarmed to see both their leader and deputy wounded.

Sandstorm was the leader of the patrol, and she was the most dismayed to see Firestar's condition. "An ambush! Who attacked you?" She pushed Leafpool aside, and covered his wound with tender licks.

"It was ShadowClan, wasn't it?" Cloudtail asked. We were close to the border, so an enemy Clan attack was the most plausible for them, especially as ShadowClan still yearned for a part of our territory. Some of the other cats – Thornclaw, Dustpelt and Brackenfur – have already spread out to check the surroundings for signs of the attackers.

It was Leafpool who filled them in, telling the story she had heard from her father. "It was not ShadowClan. It was Hawkfrost, a RiverClan warrior, who lured Firestar into a trap to murder him. But Brambleclaw killed Hawkfrost. We are safe now."

Some cats have already noticed the gruesome sight of the dead warrior by the lake, and began stalking back after they had made certain that everything was safe. Dustpelt was already back, and hearing Leafpool's explanation, eyed us suspiciously.

"A warrior of a Clan from the other side of the lake came here to kill _our_ leader? RiverClan had never had bad quarrels with Firestar. Why would they choose to attack _us_?" He let his words sink in, then continued. "Unless he was just a part of a conspiracy to kill Firestar. Think a bit – who would become leader if Firestar dies?"

This threw new light upon the matter. I realized I was in trouble, especially as everyone knew I used to be friends with Hawkfrost. Some of the warriors nodded agreement, staring at me in defiance; the others did not know what to say, and scanned the surroundings nervously for unseen enemies. I was thinking what should I reply – the problem was that Dustpelt had been right. But it was Firestar who spoke up. "I will not allow any cat to suspect my deputy of conspiring to overthrow me. He actually killed his own brother to rescue me. There is no cat more loyal in this Clan than him."

A wave of gratitude washed away my anxiety. My leader forgave me, and stood up for me, after all I had done.

Before any cat could reply anything, Leafpool broke in. "We should head back to the camp. No use staying here, and I need some herbs and cobwebs."

Firestar managed to stand up and take a few shaky steps, supported by Sandstorm and Cloudtail. I cleaned the blood and mud from my paws, then started lumping along after the others, wincing with pain. Thornclaw and Brackenfur brought up the rear, still glancing around nervously.

Squirrelflight padded up next to me, ready to support me with her body if needed. "Do you need help?" she asked. "It's nothing I can't manage," I replied. Seeing a hint of displease in her eyes, I brushed my tail across her flank to take any edge out of my words.

Large, puffy white clouds swam lazily across the blue sky, and the wind brought the faint noise of some Twoleg monster from the lake. The newleaf sun was already above the treetops, bathing the landscape in warm rays. Leafpool was on my other side, walking with her face turned to the sun. "It is over," she mewed softly, seemingly relieved that we were all out of harm's way. _No, it is just beginning_, I thought.

We walked slowly towards the camp, but soon enough we were already pushing through the thorn tunnel. The entire camp bustled with activity, obviously they already heard what happened by the lake. As we marched into the stone hollow, I saw relief and sympathy in most eyes, but also open hostility in some.

Firestar, Sandstorm and Leafpool started padding towards the medicine cat's den. Leafpool signalled to me with her tail to follow them so she could treat my wounds, but several cats stepped up in front of me, fur bristling, barring my way. Ashfur was leading them, and it was he who spoke up.

"How come you dare to enter in this camp?" he growled. "Don't you think we know you conspired with that crowfood-eating brother of yours to kill Firestar?"

"We saw you on the shore, chatting amicably with Hawkfrost, while Firestar was losing his lives in the fox trap," added Birchpaw, his apprentice.

A growl come from somewhere near the elder's den. "He should be blinded and exiled."

I unsheathed my claws against the rough ground. It seemed that the cats who remained in the camp knew another story, evidently told by Ashfur or Birchpaw, who likely saw my brother and me on the shore. Even if there was a truth in that, I had proved my loyalty to my Clan enough times, and Firestar stood up for me as well, so they had no right to speak like this. I glanced around for my leader, but he was already gone.

Luckily, there were enough cats to take my side. Squirrelflight was still beside me, dark ginger fur fluffed out so she seemed at least twice of her size as she stepped forward to confront the others. "Will you stop that at once," she hissed. "Our leader would be dead if it was not for him. We would all be dead if he had not found us a new place to live near the lake. Brambleclaw in one of the most loyal cats the Clan ever knew, and I can't imagine a better deputy for the Clan."

Her protectiveness warmed my heart, and her words weighed a lot – she would not have sided with some cat who had wanted to kill her father.

Spiderleg glared at her and sneered. "Deputy, you say? I do not trust a deputy who was appointed because of some fake sign, breaking the warrior code in many ways. He is too young, he never had an apprentice, and we don't even know if Greystripe is dead or not."

A high-pitched yowl came from outside the nursery. "He does have an apprentice! I will be his apprentice in a moon and a half! And he is a good cat, so lay off him!"

Daisy curled her tail protectively around her kit. "Indeed he is. He always took good care of us, and it was him who brought us back to the camp."

Dustpelt started to say something, but Stormfur interrupted him. "Brambleclaw was chosen by StarClan to be deputy. And he was also chosen, of all cats, to undertake a dangerous journey to the sun-drown place, to find us all a new home. Even if _you_ don't trust him, StarClan have always done, and I do not wish to argue with them."

The cats fell silent at this and some looked ashamed, except Ashfur, who became even angrier as he drew back his lips in a snarl.

"Even if you can't speak for yourself, it seems that there are only half-Clan cats and kittypets to take your side." he growled. "We should get rid of you before you make more trouble. You are a murderous traitor, just like Tigerstar was."

There was an uproar at this, Squirrelflight was yowling something at him, but as the flames of anger raced higher and higher inside me, I didn't hear anything anymore. My entire world and perception shrank to a snarling grey face and a pair of dark blue eyes as I flung myself past Squirrelflight and barrelled myself into Ashfur, knocking him to the ground. We went down in a screeching ball of fur in the middle of the appalled ThunderClan cats, teeth snapping, claws ripping flesh. I fought bravely, but I wasn't a match for Ashfur as I was weakened by the wounds and the blood loss after the fight with Hawkfrost. Soon I was pinned half-conscious under the grey tomcat, his teeth snapping near my neck. Then it suddenly ended – I felt his weight lifting from me, and as I opened my eyes, I saw Thornclaw and Cloudtail pulling the grey warrior aside, and escorting him to the far side of the camp, hissing something in his ear. The other cats broke into smaller groups, murmuring between themselves.

For some heartbeats, I lied in a bloody heap, too weak to stand up, but suddenly needle sharp teeth sank in my scruff, pulling me to my paws, then pushing me toward the medicine cat's den. It was Squirrelflight, and when I glanced to her, I saw anger burning in her eyes. She was angry with me, this time. "Have you got bees in your brain?" she hissed in my ear. "The deputy, attacking a warrior in the middle of the camp! Do you think the Clan will still support you if you keep acting like this?"

"I won't let anyone to speak like that about me, and to hint that I would do things like Tigerstar did!" I growled, but her anger did not thaw. "That doesn't mean you must act like an idiot! As if you weren't in enough trouble already. You should have let Firestar decide what to do with them."

She pulled me in Leafpool's den and dropped me ungraciously on one of the mossy beddings, then turned around and disappeared through the entrance. _Great_, I thought. _Everyone is angry with me now_.

Firestar was already sleeping in one corner of the den, his neck wound tended to. It seemed that he had not heard anything of the recent turmoil. Sandstorm was curled up beside him, flanks pressed together, guarding his sleep.

Leafpool came up to me, bringing a supply of cobwebs, marigold leaves and poppy seeds with her. "Where have you been?" she asked suspiciously. "I expected you to come here at once. You shouldn't wander around with that wound. Lie down now." She was surprised when she saw my state, and she stared at me appraisingly. "I don't remember you had this many scratches! What happened this time?"

I told her about the fight in a few words – she would hear about it anyway eventually. She appeared concerned, and mumbled something about tomcats being stupid furballs, then started to tend my wounds.

"When can I return to my warrior duties?" I asked. The idea of lying here helplessly for long days did not appeal to me. I wanted to prove to the Clan that I would do anything for them.

"Your scratches are not that deep, and your chest wound is not as bad as it appears. Tomorrow you may already walk around, but do not exert yourself for a couple of days. No running, no hunting, and certainly not getting into fights. Especially with your own Clan mates," she meowed reproachfully.

I lapped up the poppy seeds she put in front of me. "You should rest now," she added more softly, brushing her tail over my ears as she turned around to check Firestar again. I was exhausted and slipped into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

I woke up after sunhigh to the sound of soft pawsteps, some cat pushing through the entrance of the den. I thought it was Leafpool, but when I raised my head, I saw it was Squirrelflight. I was relieved to see no trace of anger in the green eyes. She brought a magpie in her jaws, and dropped it on the ground in front of me. "Here, I brought you some fresh-kill. You must be hungry."

"Thanks," I murmured. Indeed, I was hungry; I had not eaten a thing since the day before. I gulped it down in a few bites, then swiped my tongue across my jaws. I wanted to get up, but the ginger she-cat pushed me back gently with her paw. "Leafpool said you must rest today."

"I know," I protested, "but with Firestar ill as well, I cannot abandon my deputy duties. There must be someone who leads the Clan."

"Don't worry," she reassured me. "Brackenfur and Dustpelt organized the patrols, the mentors are away with their apprentices, and Firestar feels quite well. He will actually call a Clan meeting tonight." I noticed that the other bedding was empty; Firestar and Sandstorm had left already.

I shivered at the idea of a meeting. After what some cats were saying about me, and after that fight, I could expect nothing good. "Will they exile me?" I asked, resting my head on my paws. _I will not let them do that. I proved countless times that I am a loyal warrior_.

She cuffed me over the ears, claws sheathed. "Mousebrain. Maybe some cats said inconsiderate things in their first scare, not knowing what really happened at the lake; but every cat respects you, now even more than before. Most will support you, and what Stormfur said about StarClan had a great effect on them."

Her words did not calm me down completely. I remembered what Hawkfrost told me just before he died. _Do you think I did this alone? Do you think you are safe within your own Clan?_ There was a traitor – or more – among us, so Firestar – and perhaps the whole Clan – might still be in danger. From now on, I must be very careful, and warn my leader at the earliest opportunity. _But who could it be_? I wondered. _Was it Ashfur?_ He had been bitter and hostile for moons, and his sudden accusations against me made me suspicious about him. I pondered a bit, then I realized it couldn't have been Ashfur. He was the one – as Birchpaw said – who saw us on the shore, and ran back to the camp to get help. If he had been part of Hawkfrost's conspiracy, he would have helped us to kill Firestar instead of alerting the others. _No, he is no traitor_, I concluded, feeling ashamed for suspecting him of that, most likely just because our personal disagreements. _Then who was it?_

I felt Squirrelflight's tongue rasping affectionately over my neck. "Don't worry, everything will turn out all right," she breathed in my ear. Obviously, she still thought I was worried about what would the Clan do to me.

"You are right, it will," I replied, determination welling up inside me. No matter how many traitors or how much hostility was in the Clan, I silently vowed again that I will protect them and my leader until my last breath.

A golden tabby poked his head through the entrance of the medicine cat's den. I recognized Thornclaw. "Good to see you are awake and seemingly well," he greeted me. That was true – I felt much better now, rested and fed, and the pain fading into a dull ache.

"I must go, we are leaving on a hunting patrol," Squirrelflight mewed as she got up to follow Thornclaw out of the den. "Take care," she added. I sighed. I wished I could go with them, remembering when Squirrelflight wanted to go hunting with me at dawn, and me turning her down, as I had to meet with Hawkfrost.

Rays of the afternoon sun peeked through the entrance of the cave, and patches of golden light warmed my fur as I drifted into sleep again. I woke up to Leafpool's paw prodding my side. "Firestar is about to call the Clan meeting," she meowed. "They are expecting you too, but only if you are feeling well enough."

"I'm feeling well," I replied as I got up from the nest and shook clumps of moss from my coat. The wound still stung, but it was visibly healing. I thanked Leafpool again for taking care of me, and stepped out of her den. It was twilight, the sky turning into shades of deep blue and purple, the last clouds dissolving as night approached. Wind was rustling the branches somewhere far above.

Several cats have already gathered near the rockfall, beneath the Highledge. I pushed my way through them and sat down next to Rainwhisker. I glanced around, but I could not see Squirrelflight. Then I spotted her entering the camp through the thorn tunnel, returning from a hunting patrol together with Sandstorm and Ferncloud. They dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile, then came to join us. Squirrelflight walked past me, tail brushing my chest, to sit down next to Leafpool some distance away.

Firestar appeared on the Highledge, and called the cats with a loud yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." More feline forms appeared and settled down in the clearing, waiting expectantly what would their leader tell about today's events. In the gathering dusk, Firestar's fur appeared a dull brown, but his eyes were shining like stars.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he began, "as you already know, this morning a cat from another Clan tried to kill me. He did not succeed, and he was slain. I am proud of my Clan's loyalty, and let this be a lesson for any cat who thinks of doing things like this."

Indeed, all cats already knew about it, as I heard no murmurs of surprise or shock. Everyone was silent, not even Ashfur or Spiderleg uttered a word. Nevertheless, Firestar glared at them, as if he had guessed what were they about to say. "I heard what did some cats suspect my deputy with, and I will not tolerate such talk in this Clan. I'm indebted to Brambleclaw for saving me, and who opposes him, will have to answer to me." Most cats murmured agreement, setting my heart to rest.

"As for the fight between Clan members," he continued, his gaze resting on me, then on Ashfur, "I will not tolerate that either. You both broke the warrior code, and even if I let you get away with it now, the next time something like this happens, I will make sure myself that all involved cats will do apprentice duties for half a moon. I will not let inner hostilities tear apart my Clan; I have enough things to take care of. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Firestar," I replied, staring at my paws. Glancing sideways, I saw Ashfur do the same. Our eyes met, and I saw a mixture of shame and defiance in his eyes.

After a few heartbeats, Firestar went on. "But no matter what problems we may face, our Clan is still strong, and I am proud to appoint a new warrior this evening. Whitepaw, step forward."

The young white she-cat climbed up next to Firestar, green eyes gleaming. Cloudtail, Brightheart and Brackenfur were equally proud.

"Brackenfur, are you satisfied that this apprentice is ready to become a warrior of ThunderClan?" Firestar asked. The golden brown tabby replied, "Yes, I am satisfied."

The leader spoke solemnly. "I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Whitepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Whitepaw's voice rang out clearly in the clearing. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Firestar went on. "Whitepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Whitewing. StarClan honours your courage and your patience and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." He briefly rested his muzzle on Whitewing's head, and she licked his shoulder with respect. Then she jumped off the Highledge, as every cat chanted her name and went to congratulate her. I did so as well, briefly pressing my muzzle to hers. Firestar was right – she had a great deal of patience: for many moons, she had been lonely and overworked, being the only apprentice in the Clan, but she endured it, never complaining.

The meeting was over. It was already dark; the sun's light had vanished from the sky, and the stars of Silverpelt twinkled above us. I asked Dustpelt to organize an evening patrol in order to check for any suspicious activity. I doubted they could find any, but it reassured the other cats that the Clan was safe, and there would be no other attacks on their leader. Then I padded to the rocks and climbed up to follow Firestar into his den. He was lying in his nest, and raised his head as I entered.

"I need to talk to you," I meowed, as I respectfully dipped my head.

"I thought so," Firestar replied. "I'm sorry for telling you off, but with that fight, you broke the warrior code, and..."

"It's not about that..." I broke in, but did not continue, fearing that I annoyed my leader by interrupting him. However, he just looked at me expectantly, and motioned with his tail for me to continue.

"It's just that..." I searched for the right words. "You need to be careful. Some cats might be less loyal to the Clan that they seem. When I fought with Hawkfrost... he told that he did not do this alone, there was some cat in the Clan who helped him."

"I heard what he told, I was there as well," Firestar reminded me. "Nevertheless, thank you for warning me. And thank you... for everything. I am now sure that I made the right choice in appointing the new deputy."

"I just did what any cat would have done," I replied instinctively. I waited for a few heartbeats to see if he had something more to tell me, and when I saw he had not, I wished him good night and turned around to leave. I padded across the clearing to the warriors' den, thinking of an early retreat, so tomorrow I would be able to do my duties in full stretch.

It was still early, only a couple of warriors were in the den. I lay down on the mossy nest, but I could not fall asleep. As a matter of fact, I was _afraid_ to fall asleep. All I could think of were Hawkfrost's words, and what would Tigerstar do now. _What if he traps me in the Dark Forest in my dream?_ Somehow, I was sure he could take me there, no matter if I wanted to go or not. Even if I refused it, his connection with me grew too strong in the past moons for me to resist.

The more I thought about it, the more vulnerable I felt. _How can I defend my Clan, if I get trapped there, or even be killed?_ No matter how tired I was, I fought against falling asleep. _How can I fight him?_ I suddenly remembered that the dreams came only when I slept in the camp; and not when I was near the lake, or at the horseplace. Maybe it was only a coincidence, but it gave me a spark of hope.

I stood up, shook my coat, and slipped out from under the bush. But as I stalked towards the camp entrance, Leafpool's lithe shape barred my way. "Where are you going?" she asked, surprised. "You should be resting."

"I cannot sleep," I admitted. _I am afraid to sleep_. "I thought of going on a short patrol, maybe to join Dustpelt on the way back."

Her voice was full of sympathy. "Look, I know that you would do anything for the Clan," she meowed, flicking her tail over my ears. "But you can't go anywhere in that state. Come, I will give you something to help you sleep." She started walking towards her den, and under the curious glances of the cats in the clearing, I had no other choice but to follow her. Once we arrived there, she gave me some chamomile and poppy seeds, and I began chewing on them resignedly.

There were more cats in the warriors' den, sleeping or sharing tongues, when I walked back and lay down. The evening patrol returned too, and they came to the den, reporting to me about the patrol before settling down to sleep. I spotted the white shape of Whitewing in the clearing, standing vigil on her first night as a warrior.

My eyes were heavy, and I could not keep them open any more. I felt Squirrelflight's fur brushing lightly against mine as she lay down next to me, murmuring something in my ear that I could not comprehend. With my last spark of consciousness, I hoped that the nightmares would not come.

Thanks StarClan, they did not. The only dream I could remember was about fighting with ethereal cats in a strange, starry landscape with soft blue hues, until I slipped and fell into a deep crevice, falling and falling in the darkness.


	4. Chapter 2: Messengers

**Chapter 2  
**_Messengers_

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the sun was already above the treetops, shafts of light shining through the holes between the branches of the large thorn bush. I was the only one in the den. _I overslept_, I thought, ashamed. _This is not something a deputy would do_. The poppy seeds Leafpool gave plunged me in a too deep sleep. Nevertheless, I was feeling much better than yesterday.

As I stepped out in the clearing, I saw a patrol returning to the camp, led by Firestar himself. He separated from the others, then padded towards the Highledge, discussing something heatedly with Stormfur.

I walked to the fresh-kill pile to have something to eat, but some jeering from the other side of the hollow caught my ear. "Who else thinks we need a deputy who actually does his job, instead of sleeping all day like a hedgehog – of course, when he is not plotting to take over the Clan?"

It was Ashfur, of course. I pelted up to him, anger starting to build inside me, deciding that he needed a lesson. The other cats that were nearby retreated warily.

"What is your problem now?" I snarled, my face barely a mouselength from his. "You are the one to talk? When you were wounded after the badger attack, you were lying about for one moon in the medicine cat's den, instead of just one day." That was a bit unfair, because he was in much worse shape back then, but I decided I would not allow him get in my fur.

He wanted to retort, but I did not let him. "Speaking about duties, what are you doing here, hanging around?" I went on. "Don't you have an apprentice to train?"

"We got our duties for today from Firestar. We had no choice, the deputy was... not available, after all," he smirked triumphantly. "So it is not your concern."

"I still am the deputy, so I believe it's my concern," I growled.

He took a couple of steps back, then dipped his head in mock respect. "Yes, Bramblestar," he meowed mockingly. "Sorry for my insolence. After all, you are StarClan's chosen, or something like that."

He turned to walk away, but anger flared inside me and I launched myself at him, determined to wipe that sneer off his face. But before I could reach the grey warrior, Squirrelflight came crashing into me, knocking me to the ground. Ferncloud was there as well, stepping in front of Ashfur to prevent any fight.

"Won't you ever learn?" the dark ginger she-cat hissed in my ear. "Especially after what Firestar said yesterday?"

"I won't let him..." I began, but she did not let me finish. "Don't you see he is just baiting you in a fight? Just like Hawkfrost did with Stormfur to get rid of him. You were there to see, so you should know better. Do you believe I will always be there to save you?"

_Won't you?_ I wondered, but all I said was "Sorry," as I got up to my paws, eyes downcast. I saw Ashfur stalking away towards the medicine cat's den.

"Even if Firestar supports you, the other cats will not appreciate their deputy constantly getting in fights with the Clan members," she continued, a hint of concern in her voice.

"I guess they don't appreciate a cat constantly taunting others either," I murmured, thinking about the grey warrior's behaviour. "What is he doing here anyway, standing around and trying to make trouble? He said Firestar gave him some duties."

Squirrelflight started to purr with amusement. "Firestar actually ordered him to tend to the elders. He just went to Leafpool to get some mouse bile."

It dawned on me that once again, we had only a single apprentice in the Clan, so some warriors were required to take up apprentice duties from time to time, and Ashfur was Firestar's first choice after yesterday's events. "Well, if it was meant as a punishment, to teach him some humility, I must say it didn't work out," I pointed out. I felt a pang of regret as I remembered that I used to be best friends with him. But that was a long time ago, even before I left to the sun-drown place.

After Squirrelflight was sure I would not attack anyone else, she disappeared through the thorn tunnel to join Dustpelt's patrol. I walked towards the Highledge, where Firestar was still talking with Stormfur. Cloudtail and Brackenfur were there as well. The leader glanced around and beckoned me to join them. I feared that he saw me nearly getting into a fight once again and would tell me off; but eventually he did not mention it.

"Hawkfrost's body is still on the lakeshore." he began when I was within earshot. "It would be an arduous task to carry him around the lake to the RiverClan camp, and no one is willing to do it anyway. But some cat must go to RiverClan and tell them about his death, so their warriors could pay him their respects and give him a proper funeral, if they wish. Cloudtail, Brackenfur and Stormfur will go to speak with them."

I let out a growl of protest. "Respects? Would any of them do that? He turned his back on the warrior's code, he was a traitor trying to murder a Clan leader."

Stormfur agreed with me, clearly they talked this through several times. Firestar's ears twitched, perhaps he realized I knew more about the matter than I had told him, but he didn't ask me about it. "That might be so," he replied, "but RiverClan may think otherwise. He had many friends and followers there, respecting him for his determination."

That was so like Firestar, endlessly diplomatic and ready to forget anything in order to preserve the peace between the Clans.

"It will be dangerous," Cloudtail observed, her voice low as if talking to himself. "What if they don't believe he was a traitor, and think we killed him for some other reason? What if they will attack the messengers, or attack our Clan? Just let it lie and no one will be the wiser."

"We _have to_ tell them, and better sooner than later. Things will be even worse if they discover it themselves," Firestar argued. "Leopardstar sometimes takes wrong decisions, but I trust her now to handle matters wisely. So you three should set out now."

"Then I will go as well," I told him. "I am the deputy... and he was my brother after all... and it was me who killed him. I would like to tell them the news myself."

Of course I had other reasons to go as well – I wanted to show my Clan they could still rely on me, no matter what. I would not go lazing around all day and be called a hedgehog, just because I had a few scratches. Furthermore, the mission had its dangers, as Cloudtail pointed out – and I would not let other cats walk into danger without me protecting them – or at least trying to.

Firestar was surprised. "Shouldn't you rest?" he asked worriedly. "I can see you are still weak, and it is a long and dangerous journey."

"Leafpool told I was OK, and that I could leave the camp if I wished." This was not entirely a lie; Leafpool told me something like this yesterday. Of course, she did not have a day's journey in mind, but I felt I could manage it.

Firestar looked me up and down, then reluctantly agreed. "Very well, if she said so. You can join Cloudtail and the others, but take care of yourself."

"I would like to take only Brackenfur with me," I pressed. "There is no need for four cats to deliver a message, we should not appear as a raiding party, and cats are needed in the camp." Naturally, this was not the only reason why I wanted to prevent the other two from coming. Cloudtail was too hot-headed and could get himself in trouble if tensions arose; and Stormfur was exiled from RiverClan just a couple of days ago, so most of their warriors would not welcome him with open paws, even if he was just visiting.

Luckily, they did not protest. "Fair enough. Be careful," meowed Cloudtail, seemingly relieved to be absolved of the mission. He motioned to Brightheart and Whitewing, and left the camp through the thorn tunnel, most likely to go hunting. Stormfur left too, wishing us good luck.

"We should leave then, it is a long journey," I meowed to Brackenfur. "We will be back at nightfall."

"May StarClan watch over you," murmured Firestar as we turned around and bounded towards the entrance. I looked around nervously, but there were only a few cats in the clearing, and I could not spot Leafpool or any other cat who would want to stop me from leaving.

We cut through the forest to reach the lake near the WindClan border. The journey would have been shorter through ShadowClan's territory, but there were tensions between the two Clans after the recent border clashes, and I did not want to risk a confrontation. My wound still stung, but did not hinder me in any way. Nevertheless, Brackenfur kept looking at me worriedly. "Are you sure you can make it?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"I will make it," I assured him.

It was sunhigh, and the newleaf sun shone through the leaf canopies. Birds called in the trees, and patches of light lingered lazily on the forest floor. I could smell the scent of prey and hear faint scuttling in the undergrowth. Brackenfur dropped into a hunter's crouch, then leaped forward and killed a shrew with a sharp blow. "Let's share it," he suggested. Seeing I was reluctant, he added, "Yes, I know you can catch your own, but you should not exert yourself just yet."

I thanked him, and took some bites from the prey. We stopped once more to hunt as we approached the border, knowing that we would not be able to get any more prey until we return. Warrior code forbids hunting on other Clans' territories.

When we reached the scent markers, we continued along the border to the lake, then followed the shore, keeping a distance of two fox-lengths from the water. The sun burned our coats as we pelted across the open ground, as if it was greenleaf already. The lake was glittering in the bright sunlight and small waves splashed lazily against the shore. Small boats bobbed gently up and down on the water, and uneasiness crept over me when I saw that they were much closer to the shore of our territory than they usually were.

By the time we arrived on RiverClan grounds, I was quite exhausted, and even if I tried my best not to let it show, Brackenfur was shooting worried glances at me. We left the shore and continued towards the camp, hoping to spot a patrol to tell them Firestar's message and finally have the mission off our paws. But it was not until we were deep in RiverClan's territory that we spotted a lone feline form; a golden tabby she-cat gathering herbs.

"Hi, Mothwing," I greeted my half-sister warmly. "How is prey running?"

Surprise glinted in her large amber eyes, then it was replaced by anxiety as he saw me. "You are hurt and at the end of your powers! What happened? Come with me to the camp, I will help you."

"I only came to deliver a message from Firestar. It's about Hawkfrost," I explained. She became even more distressed. "He has been missing for more than one day. I thought you would know what happened to him. Where is he?"

"He is dead," I managed. She took a step back, shocked. "He wanted to kill our leader, then me. We fought, and he was killed," I explained. "There was no other option."

Shock, grief, and a suggestion of relief clouded Mothwing's eyes. I walked up next to her, and pressed my muzzle into the golden fur to comfort her. For some moments, we sat in silence, thinking about how things would have turned out if our brother was some cat we could have been proud of. Brackenfur sat uneasily at a distance, giving quick licks to his chest.

Then I stood up and turned to leave. "His body is still on the shore, in our territory, close to the border with ShadowClan. Firestar thought your warriors would want to take him home and pay their final respects. Please pass this on to your leader."

She pondered for a few heartbeats. "As you are here, it would be better if you came to our camp, to talk personally with Leopardstar," she offered. "And I also wish to tend that wound of yours, and give you some herbs to help you on the journey back."

I doubted there was a need for me to talk to the leader – Mothwing could tell Leopardstar the news herself – but the offer of getting some healing convinced me to follow her. Brackenfur padded silently next to us. We arrived in the RiverClan camp, situated on a triangle-shaped piece of land where two streams met, and splashed through the shallows. I spotted the tall beech tree I was hiding on some five days ago, secretly witnessing the exile of Stormfur and Brook. There was a lot of activity in the camp – cats walking about or resting in the sun, and kits playing near some brambles what I thought were the nursery.

The warriors who saw us entering eyed us suspiciously. "What are you doing in our camp?" asked Blackclaw, and came bounding up to meet us.

"It is all right, they are with me," Mothwing replied, and Brackenfur added as an explanation, "Firestar sent us to deliver a message to Leopardstar."

Blackclaw was still glaring at us with hostility, fur bristling, but Mistyfoot appeared in the clearing, and spirits calmed down. Mothwing nudged me towards her den, under the roots of a tree on the bank of the smaller stream. Once we were there, she gave me some willow bark and chamomile, and applied a poultice of goldenrod on my healing wound.

As I rested for a short while on the soft moss, she crouched near me and licked my ear comfortingly. "I am sorry," she murmured. "I know that you were very close to your brother. This must be very hard to you."

_You don't know the half of it_, I thought. "We were close, but... he chose to walk a path that I did not want to follow. He betrayed us, he wanted to kill Firestar, and no cat will ever approve that behaviour," I replied.

"I didn't speak about justifying his actions," she protested. "Just... it would have been nice if he hadn't chosen that path, if he had been a brother we could have been proud of." She was right. I missed a brother like that – one I could trust, one who would do anything for his Clan, as I would do.

A young grey tabby she-cat entered the den, with some herbs in her mouth I did not recognize. I guessed she was Mothwings's new apprentice, and Mothwing confirmed it, "Brambleclaw, this is my apprentice, Willowpaw. She has been a great help to me, even since she was a kit."

I got up and gave Willowpaw a friendly flick of my tail as a greeting. After she arranged the herbs, she lay down and curled up to sleep. "She is exhausted," Mothwing explained to me, "Mosspelt is ill and Willowpaw was attending her all night."

I heard Leopardstar's voice outside, so I turned to leave the den. I brushed my tail along Mothwing's flank as I stepped out, and walked up to Leopardstar, greeting her politely. Mistyfoot was there as well, talking to Brackenfur, and several warriors surrounded us in a half circle, a degree of wariness in their looks.

"Brackenfur let me know you two have a message for us," the leader meowed as I sat down facing her. "What is it about?"

I braced myself and said, "It's about Hawkfrost. He is dead."

A wave of murmur passed over the cats gathered around us. "Dead? What happened? How come you know about it?"

"It happened in ThunderClan territory," I explained, wondering how much I should tell them about what happened. Some warriors looked ready to spring at us. Hawkfrost was friends with most of them, and I was afraid they would take revenge on us, exactly as Cloudtail had suggested. Should I tell them his death was an accident? No cat would believe that; Hawkfrost was an experienced warrior who would not go and impale himself just like that on the other side of the lake. Eventually, I decided to tell them the truth, trusting the leader's judgement. "He wanted to kill... one of our cats. A fight ensued, and he was killed. I am sorry."

There were hisses of disbelief and some cats took a couple of steps towards me, claws unsheathed. I glanced at Leopardstar, but she only stared in the distance, shocked. In Mistyfoot's blue eyes, I saw a hint of relief, just like in Mothwing's when she first heard the news.

"Were there any other cats with him? Who were the others?" Leopardstar asked finally, looking at her warriors.

I remembered Hawkfrost talking about the existence of traitors in ThunderClan, but I would not tell a rival Clan about that. "No one I know of," I managed, hoping my voice would not shake.

"Do you expect us to believe that?" Stonestream, a grey tom protested. "Why would a warrior loyal to the code try to kill a cat of another Clan? All alone?"

"I don't believe this story either," Voletooth snarled. "I can't imagine him doing anything wrong. I'd say he was murdered, and I'd bet it was that troublemaker we exiled, and ThunderClan was eager to take in." They meant Stormfur, I realized. _How do they know that he is in our Clan?_

"I think it was another cat who killed him," Blackclaw disagreed, glaring at me, and eyeing the wound on my chest.

"He was my brother, for StarClan's sake," I snapped at him. This made them shut up. They knew I was a good friend of Hawkfrost. I waited for some other cat to challenge me, but there was silence, so I continued. "His body is still in ThunderClan territory, on the shore close to the ShadowClan border. You can come in small groups to pay your respects or to take him back to your camp. This is Firestar's message."

"We will do that," Voletooth murmured, but Leopardstar silenced him with a wave of her tail. "I believe what Brambleclaw said. And my Clan will not honour a warrior who broke the code and wanted to kill a cat from another Clan we have no quarrel with. This is my reply to Firestar."

There were loud protests, but some cats agreed with Leopardstar. "Quiet!" the leader yowled. Silence fell again on the camp, no cat wanting to challenge her.

"We will pass your message to Firestar," Brackenfur meowed. "Thank you, Leopardstar. We will leave now; we would like to arrive home before nightfall."

"Very well," the leader replied. Brackenfur started walking towards the entrance, so I took leave of the gathered cats and followed him. He gave me a worried glance, to see if I was angry with him for taking the decision to leave; I was his deputy after all. But I did not care; we were both tense, and looking forward to leave the camp.

Mistyfoot escorted us to the entrance. "Are you sure you don't want to rest?" she asked. "You are in bad shape, and it is a long journey. You can spend the night here, if you wish."

The offer was very tempting; I did want to get some rest before the journey back. However, I could not let them see that a ThunderClan warrior was weak, and anyway I promised to Firestar that we would be back this evening. Mothwing's herbs gave me enough strength to reach our home. "Thank you for your generosity, but we must return. We are needed in the ThunderClan camp."

We cut through the RiverClan territory, pelting towards the WindClan border as the shadows grew longer. It was late afternoon, and the sun was slowly approaching the distant treetops. We saw the fence of the horseplace in the distance, knowing we would soon reach WindClan grounds. Then we heard the sound of running cats, approaching from behind. My heart sank when I turned around and saw Blackclaw, Stonestream, Voletooth and Beechpaw, chasing us. Clearly, they had their own ideas about what happened, and wanted to get their revenge on me after Leopardstar did not do so. The border was still some way ahead, we could not reach it before they closed up, and anyway I doubted the border would stop them.

"Did you think you would get away this easily?" Stonestream snarled, stepping in front of us. I flexed my claws, preparing for their attack. Weakened as I was, I doubted I could take on a single cat, let alone two or three, but I decided not to go down without a fight.

"We know very well it was you who murdered him – in cold blood. Those scratches on you give it away. Now you will meet the same fate," Blackclaw hissed. They surrounded Brackenfur and me, preventing us from escaping.

"Murdered him? Come on, he was my brother, we never had any disagreement," I protested, but they did not care about arguments. "Say your prayers to StarClan," Stonestream sneered. I did really say a short prayer, hoping they would send a patrol to save us. I could not join StarClan just yet; there was still a lot to do for my Clan.

Blackclaw was the first to launch himself at me. I managed to sidestep, and landed a blow on his neck with a forepaw, sending him rolling to the ground. I turned around, and Stonestream crashed into me, sending us tumbling over in the grass. I felt his teeth ripping at my neck fur, but I kicked out with my hind legs, and threw him off me. I clawed at his face, and he retreated, yowling with pain.

Then Blackclaw came at me again, and this time I could not avoid his vicious attack. We clawed and kicked at each other, fur flying. In the end, I gained the upper hand, sending him to the ground with a powerful strike. Stonestream and Beechpaw came to his help, attacking me from two sides. I held my ground, fighting for my life, but Stonestream finally unbalanced me, and as I rolled to the ground, the apprentice raked his claws through my chest, tearing open my healing wound.

Scorching pain overwhelmed me, my vision blurred, and I collapsed on my back, the grey tom pinning me down. Blackclaw reappeared as well, and his claws were tearing at my throat. I hoped Brackenfur would come to help me, but as I managed to focus my vision, I saw him locked in combat with Voletooth in the shallow water of the lake. The RiverClan warrior clearly had an advantage, and kept pressing Brackenfur's head underwater, trying to drown him.

It seemed everything would end then – but it did not. More cats came rushing through the grass, and I felt some cat batting Blackclaw and Stonestream away from me. I glanced up and saw Leopardstar, with Mistyfoot, Reedwhisker and Mothwing behind, separating the RiverClan warriors from us.

"How should I interpret this?" the leader hissed at her warriors. "What is happening here?"

"Well... these cats were trespassing on our territory, so they needed a lesson," meowed Blackclaw in a silken voice. That was true, we should have followed the shore instead of cutting through the territory, but that was a three times longer distance, and anyway I was sure we would have been attacked no matter where we went. However, Leopardstar took our side.

"I ordered Brambleclaw and Brackenfur to deliver my message to Firestar, and gave them free leave!" she yowled at them. "By attacking them, I reckon you are plotting against your Clan leader." Blackclaw and the other three stared at their paws. "Come with me, we'll discuss about your punishment in the camp." The leader left, with the four warriors limping after her. Mistyfoot, Reedwhisker and Mothwing stayed with us, and Willowpaw appeared as well, with a large bundle of herbs and cobwebs wrapped in leaves.

Mothwing began to treat my wounds, cleaning it with gentle licks, rubbing some pulp into them, then covering them with cobwebs. Willowpaw tended to Brackenfur, but the golden tabby had only a few shallow scratches, and finished coughing up water. Obviously, Blackclaw's group did not want to kill him, just to prevent him from helping me.

"Good that we arrived on time," Reedwhisker observed. "Things would have been much worse if we had come some heartbeats later."

"How... how did you know we were in trouble?" I asked, wincing with pain as Mothwing pressed some more goldenrod on a scratch. I was surprised – they came prepared with herbs and all, as if they knew precisely what was about to happen.

It was Willowpaw who answered my question. "I had a vision. I went to sleep after you left, and soon I saw a warrior ancestor appearing in my dream... telling me you were heading for trouble, and you would need help. I told this to the others, and we were on our way."

_It must have been Bluestar_, I thought. "A blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes, right?" I asked.

"No, nothing like that," Willowpaw replied. "It was a large, reddish tom with a proud stature. And he was not from StarClan, I think. He did not have stars in his fur... he had them in his eyes. A thousand stars gleaming in his green eyes."

I did not recognize any cat with that description, and I did not know about any other spirit realm besides StarClan, but I was relieved to know that there was at least one warrior ancestor looking after me.

Mothwing finished treating my wounds, and gave me some herbs to chew on. Meanwhile, Reedwhisker brought us two fish, and we gratefully accepted them. "This should help you to go on. We would invite you back to camp, but I guess things are quite tense there. I suggest you to sleep at the barn by the horseplace, it is not far from here, and you can get food and shelter."

"Tense?" Uneasiness mounted in me._ Because of my message?_ The last thing we needed was a confrontation between RiverClan and ThunderClan. _More problems, because of me,_ I thought, then I corrected myself. _Because of Tigerstar_.

Mistyfoot replied, as if she had guessed my thoughts. "Some warriors are hot-headed, but Leopardstar is no fool, and she trusts you and Firestar. There will be no conflict between the Clans." Somehow, I doubted that. I was sure this was not the end of it, and that we made some enemies in RiverClan. However, I did not voice my concerns.

"All right then. And... thank you for saving us," I meowed to the RiverClan cats. "We are indebted to you."

"Don't mention it. I will always help a ThunderClan cat in trouble," Mistyfoot answered, then continued in a whisper, her eyes filled with terror. "When Willowpaw told there is something about to happen... and when I saw four cats were missing from the camp... I feared the worst. I feared that you would end up like... like Stonefur."

Stonefur was her brother, killed in a brutal and bloody fight, badly outnumbered, without being guilty of anything. His death would always haunt Mistyfoot.

Brackenfur nudged me to my paws. "How are you feeling? Can you make it to the barn? Or do you want to rest some more?"

"I can make it," I muttered. The herbs and the food gave me new strength.

"You surely can," Reedwhisker encouraged me. "Even outnumbered like that, you two dealt quite some damage to those cats. You are good warriors of your Clan."

"I am deputy now," I announced with a hint of pride. Their eyes gleamed with appreciation, and Mothwing rubbed her head against my flank, even more proud than I was. "ThunderClan has a good deputy then," she purred.

The RiverClan cats escorted us to the border, making sure there would not be another attack, then we parted and I started walking in a brisk pace, Brackenfur following me. The sun was already touching the horizon; twilight was not far away. We saw Smoky's barn, and Brackenfur veered off to the right. "Come on, Brambleclaw, the barn is this way," he called when he saw I did not follow him.

"I see where the barn is. But we are going home," I meowed.

Brackenfur turned and stared at me in puzzlement. "You must rest. We are not even halfway to home. You cannot possibly make it."

"I _must_ make it," I sighed. "I told Firestar we would be back by nightfall. I cannot let the whole Clan running around the lake, searching for us. They have better things to do."

Brackenfur got angry at my stubbornness, and stepped in front of me, neck fur bristling. "When you will finally stop acting the great hero?" he hissed. "I know you want to prove you are a good deputy, but that doesn't mean you should try to kill yourself foolishly again and again."

_You do not know how is it to live with a legacy like mine_, I thought. After he saw that I would not reply, he continued more calmly, offering a compromise. "I can return alone to the camp, and tell them everything is all right, so they will not worry about us."

I admitted this was the best possible idea, and I longed for some rest, but I just did not want Brackenfur to have the upper hand, and decided to contradict him just for the sake of it. "Both of us are returning," I declared. "I made up my mind."

He hissed in disbelief, but did not argue. We continued along the shore, walking in silence through WindClan grounds. I let Brackenfur to take the lead, and I followed him about a foxlength behind. We did not meet with patrols, although we saw some cats on a hill in the distance, prowling lazily. They must have seen us as well, but we kept the agreed distance from the lake, and they did not come to confront – or greet – us.

The sun has already set, and as light disappeared, my strength kept ebbing away as well. Not even my determination or the herbs I got gave me enough strength to finish the journey. Flashes of pain pulsated in me, and I could barely put one paw in front of the other. _I will not make it. _I focused on Brackenfur's shape ahead of me, but my eyes kept closing, and wondered when I would collapse of exhaustion.

Then I had the illusion of a cat's pelt brushing against my flank, and suddenly a jolt of energy streamed through my body, taking away some of the pain and giving me renewed strength to continue the travel. I opened my eyes and jerked my head sideways to see what – or who – was it. I thought I could make out the form of a large cat with sparkling green eyes. _A thousand stars gleaming in his green eyes._

I blinked, and the shape disappeared. _Maybe it was an illusion after all, weariness playing with my senses._ Nevertheless, it filled me with some energy, allowing me to make the last part of the journey home.

Brackenfur eyed me nervously, but all he could see was that I continued padding after him, unfaltering. Clearly, he did not notice anything – if there had been anything.

Soon enough we were in ThunderClan grounds, climbing the gently sloping floor of the shadowy forest towards the camp. As we approached, we heard rustling in the undergrowth, and a patrol dashed forward to meet us, formed of Thornclaw, Rainwhisker, Stormfur and Brook. Even in the darkness, they could see how weary we were.

"Brambleclaw! Brackenfur! What happened? Were you attacked?" Questions flew as the four cats of the evening patrol greeted us, noses touching and flanks brushing, relieved that we returned. "Leafpool and Squirrelflight were very distressed when I told them you left," Stormfur filled me in. "They even organized a patrol to bring you back, but by that time, you had already left ThunderClan territory."

"You are taking too much on your shoulders," Thornclaw observed as we started walking in the direction of the camp, and Brackenfur murmured in reply, "I was telling him the same thing."

"What is the problem?" I asked, trying to act as if nothing happened. "We made it, we are back, we are safe."

"You don't have to kill yourself to prove you are loyal to the Clan," Thornclaw observed, echoing what Brackenfur told me on the way home. By that time, we were already slipping through the thorn tunnel. Cats were pacing anxiously in the clearing, visibly relieved when they saw we were back. The first thing I sighted was Leafpool and Squirrelflight dashing towards me, sparks of suppressed anger in their eyes. I moved forward to touch noses with Squirrelflight, but she stepped back, hissing angrily at me.

"How could you be so stupid to go hiking around the lake, wounded as you are? And I see you were fighting again, and barely alive!" she confronted me. "Do you know how worried I was? I took a patrol to..."

Anger stared to course through my veins. I was quite nervous already for deepening the conflict with RiverClan and making new enemies there. The last thing I needed was some cat going on and on about how stupid I was. "Will you stop that," I snapped. "I'm not your kit, I can take care of myself, I don't need looking after. I was just doing my duty to the Clan."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Very well," she meowed, her voice breaking. "See if I care." She whipped around and darted away.

The warriors who gathered close by eyed me in awkward silence. Leafpool sighed and meowed in a level voice, "You are coming with me now to the medicine cat's den."

"My wounds were already treated by Mothwing," I objected. "Right now, I must report to Firestar."

Leafpool did not bother to argue; she sank her teeth in my scruff and pulled me towards her den. I was too tired to resist. "I will talk with Firestar," Brackenfur assured me, and pelted away to the leader's den.

As Leafpool applied a poultice of goldenrod and some new cobwebs on my wounds, she burst out. "How could you talk to Squirrelflight like that?" I rarely saw her this angry. "You can't even imagine how worried she was. He took a patrol to find you, and almost charged at Firestar for letting you leave the camp."

I could not help letting out a _mrrow_ of laughter, imagining the fiery she-cat about to beat up her father. "She doesn't need to worry about me," I replied finally. "I made it back, didn't I? And she shouldn't be the one to talk; she always has my fur off whenever I want to protect her."

"You should rather be happy that there is someone who cares about you," Leafpool retorted. "And for once, you should care about something beside yourself."

I sighed and lapped up the generous amount of poppy seeds she placed in front of me, then got up, muttered thanks and turned to leave. "You must not leave the camp until you are healed properly," Leafpool called after me. "I will make sure the warriors guarding the camp know about it."

I stopped by the fresh-kill pile to get some food, then slipped into the warriors' den. As I lay on the mossy bedding, I silently hoped that Squirrelflight's anger had already vanished and she would come to my side. But when she entered the den, she purposefully stalked to the most remote corner, ignoring me. I missed her comforting scent as I drifted off into sleep.

* * *

I was walking in a strange landscape covered in silence, the starry night sky casting soft blue hues over the hills and trees. Nothing moved around me as I walked up a hill, high grass gently brushing against my pelt. Although it did not resemble any landscape from our hunting grounds, somehow I was sure I had seen this place before. _But where? In a dream? In yesterday's dream. Am I dreaming now too?_

As I reached the ridge, an unnatural scenery greeted me on the other side of the hills. I saw a large dark crevice through a valley, like a long and wide wound on the surface of the earth, running as far as my eyes could see. Even the sky above was warped, missing stars replaced by a streak of swirling blue shadows. Despite the strange sight, I could not feel any danger, just a sensation of overwhelming emptiness.

Curiosity nudged me on and I padded closer, creeping through the grass. As I glanced sideways, I spotted something looking like a wall of mist behind the hills, in the distance. I wondered what could that be, as the weather was clear and the air crisp.

The landscape suddenly came alive. Cats came darting out of nowhere, and launched themselves at me in attack. They had ethereal shapes, as if made from mist, but their claws and teeth were very real, and soon I was fighting for my life. _I am the best warrior in the forest_, I reminded myself as I dealt deadly blows around me and parried savage attacks. One cat went down with a broken spine, another retreated after I raked my claws through its flank, and yet another simply dissolved in a cloud of mist as I hit it with my paw. But I was badly outnumbered, bleeding from many wounds as I kept retreating towards the crevice.

A large cat crashed into me, sending me flying over the edge. I flailed in panic, hoping that I could reach a ledge or a branch, but there was nothing around me, and the sky above slowly reduced to a thin line as I kept falling and falling in the emptiness.

I woke up with a start. For several moments, I saw only darkness surrounding me, and thought I was still plummeting in the abyss. Then I made out the dim light through the entrance of the den, and felt the warm breathing of the other cats sleeping around me stirring in their sleep now and then.

_Just a nightmare_. I wondered if it had some meaning, if it was some sort of omen. Then I decided against it. _Just your average nightmare... fighting, falling, whatever._ The Dark Forest was silent, and that was all that counted.

* * *

_Note: Many thanks to SymphoniaFreak who pointed out some mistakes in chapters 1 and 2. These are corrected now._

_Yeah, I know that PO3 implies that Hawkfrost's death was pretty much covered up (in contradiction with the _After Sunset_ play where everyone seems to know the circumstances), but I found that a bit unrealistic, so I took the liberty and changed it._


	5. Chapter 3: Haunted

**Chapter 3  
**_Haunted_

I heeded Leafpool's advice – or shall I call it order? – and remained in the camp during the following days, organizing patrols and helping out where I could.

The morning after my visit to the RiverClan camp, I paid a short visit to Firestar in his den. Although Brackenfur had already related to him what had happened, I wanted to talk with my leader too, to find out what was his opinion, and if he planned to do something to avert RiverClan's new hostility.

Firestar was alone in his den, resting on his soft nest of ferns and moss in the cool darkness, gazing at the stone wall, lost in thoughts. It flashed through my mind how lonely a leader must be within his own Clan – friendship replaced by respect, a life of ease replaced by responsibility, the warmth of the warriors' den replaced by a cold and dark cave. I felt my ambition to be a leader slowly ebb away.

"Brambleclaw," he greeted me as I entered. I dipped my head in respect, and he continued. "Brackenfur told me what happened in the RiverClan territory. You did well. As for Leopardstar's message, I suspected an answer like this, and I am glad she did not blame our Clan about what happened."

"Indeed so. But things are not that simple," I replied cautiously, sitting down on the stone floor. "The _majority_ of their warriors are hostile to us, and they even disobeyed their leader. I fear the issue is not over."

"I hope Leopardstar can deal with them," Firestar murmured. He was silent for a few heartbeats, contemplating the possibilities, then he added, "I don't consider them a threat to our Clan. They have fewer warriors than us, and are divided, as I understand."

"That's right..." I began, but I trailed off as something strange in Firestar's words reached my mind. "What do you mean you _hope_ she can deal with them?" I asked, slightly alarmed. Was there some reason the RiverClan leader lost his authority in her Clan?

"It would be not the first time she was manipulated by other cats while taking wrong decisions," he sighed. Obviously he thought about the TigerClan issue, when Leopardstar watched impassively as her Clan was taken over and her deputy killed. "Anything else to report? Did the patrols find something unusual?" the leader asked in a more formal tone.

"Nothing worth mentioning," I replied. "The scent markers were renewed, and we have plenty of prey."

"Very well," he dismissed me. I stood up, and turned to leave the den.

I spent the rest of the day with listening to the reports of the patrols and organizing new ones, checking if everything was all right in the camp, watching the kits play-fighting in front of the nursery, and giving them advice. Birchpaw and Whitewing brought some moss, and I helped them changing the bedding in the warriors' den. Eventually the sun disappeared over the edge of the stone hollow, and although the weather was clear, the air began to cool down, the evening bringing echoes of leaf-bare chill.

The next day, I was feeling even better; my wounds were healing swiftly, and I was regaining my strength. However, there was one thing that hurt: Squirrelflight was still ignoring me, offended that I told her off the day before. _I should not have done that, _I told to myself. _She was just worried about me_.

I missed her greatly. I missed her closeness, her friendship, her spirit. I braced myself several times to walk up to her, determined to say I was sorry. But each time our gazes met, her green eyes could have frozen a snowstorm, making my determination to dissolve like mist on a sunny leaf-fall morning.

The day dragged on lazily. I watched from the warriors' den as the sunhigh patrol streamed in through the thorn tunnel. It was led by Firestar, and he looked worried as he discussed something with a few other senior warriors. When he saw me, he motioned with his tail for me to join them. We sat down near the fresh-kill pile, and while we had our meals, he explained that there was increased activity near the ShadowClan border.

"We did not see anything, but we scented many cats passing there shortly before... quite large for a patrol. I suspect they are up to something," our leader filled us in.

"I was wondering when they would decide to make a move," Dustpelt remarked gruffly. "After all, Blackstar hinted at the last Gathering that he was not finished with us." I remembered it quite clearly – I was one of the ThunderClan cats attending that disastrous Gathering.

"Yes, I was thinking about that as well," the leader nodded absently. "I imagine they have even more trouble with Twolegs on their grounds."

"I will order the patrols checking that border to be doubled," I assured them. "All cats should look for signs of ShadowClan warriors on our territory, and even hunting patrols will be larger in case they run into a raiding party."

"Thank you, Brambleclaw," Firestar meowed. "Please let me know if the patrols report anything strange."

Dustpelt and Brackenfur finished their meal and trudged towards the warriors' den, most likely to take a nap until the next assignment, and Firestar prepared to leave as well. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he got to his paws. "You are in better shape than yesterday."

"I am fine," I replied confidently. "I believe I can return to my warrior duties right now, but Leafpool said I should rest a few days more. Until then, I try to help out here, in the camp."

"Very well," the leader approved. "Can you get some cat to look after the elders, then? Mousefur was meowing about her joints aching. Birchpaw is away, and Leafpool has enough work, checking the kits in the nursery."

"Sure," I replied, as he turned and walked away. I looked around the clearing. Most warriors retreated under the thorn bush to get some rest after the patrol, but I spotted Whitewing and Squirrelflight close by. I approached them, asking in a formal voice, "Whitewing, could you please take a look at the elders? Birchpaw is away, and Mousefur..."

Squirrelflight interrupted me. "She is not your apprentice to order him around and giving out tasks like that, you bossy furball. If something needs doing, you'd rather do it yourself, instead of lazing around all day."

Whitewing shot me an apologetic look, but remained silent. I was not in the mood to argue, and there was no use in doing it anyway. "All right, I will do it myself," I grunted, trailing off to the medicine cat's den to get some burdock.

"Have fun," Squirrelflight called after me, then motioned for Whitewing to follow. "We are leaving to hunt," she announced. "The Clan needs more fresh-kill, especially as some bossy furballs are doing nothing all day."

I looked after the ginger she-cat as she vanished through the thorn tunnel. At least she was not stalking off with Ashfur, or some other tom for that matter. Whitewing was always like a bigger sister for Squirrelflight, protecting her even since they had been kits in the nursery.

I got the herbs from Leafpool, then padded to the elder's den, a shady cave at one side of the stone hollow. Goldenflower, my mother was sharing tongues with Longtail, and Mousefur was lying on another nest, yawning lazily. They looked up surprised as I entered and started to tend to Mousefur with the wetted burdock.

"That's better," the brown elder grumbled with satisfaction as I finished the job. "It seems you have talent for apprentice jobs, young one. Bramble... paw, was it?"

It was usually an offense to call a warrior by their apprentice name, but I saw humour gleaming in Mousefur's pale yellow eyes, and could not make myself to be angry with her. "Right," I replied. "Can you tell me a story, then? About some epic battle of ThunderClan," I asked in a pleading voice.

Mousefur grunted and turned away, while the other two elders purred with amusement. "I can tell you one," Goldenflower offered finally, and I padded up to lie down next to her. She started grooming me with gentle licks, and as I closed my eyes and drew in her scent I felt as if I was again a kit in the nursery, where my mother would protect me from anything; forgetting about all the responsibilities of a deputy on my shoulders.

I do not know for how much time I was lying there, painfully realizing how I missed such cosy moments, while Goldenflower was telling some story about her and Bluestar's apprenticehood. In the end, I was roused by Longtail's voice. "Well, if you decided to take up apprentice duties, can you ask Leafpool to bring me some juniper berries? I don't feel quite well."

"Sure," I replied as I slowly got to my paws, shaking some moss from my coat. Mousefur got up as well, and gave a long stretch. "I'm going for a little walk," she announced, then left the den and trailed off towards the camp entrance. She walked vigorously, and I was glad I had been able help her with the burdock.

It was after sunhigh, shadows began to grow, and the camp was pretty much deserted, most cats leaving to hunt and patrol. Reaching Leafpool's den, I told the medicine cat that Longtail needed some juniper berries, and she began to gather some from a crack in the wall. "I will take these myself to him," she meowed, "I want to take a look at him, to make sure he doesn't have any serious illness."

"All right," I mumbled as I moved towards the entrance, but Leafpool was not finished with me yet. "Brambleclaw," she called after me. "You still didn't apologize to Squirrelflight, did you?"

I twitched my ears and cast my eyes to the ground. "Well... she is not in the mood to discuss things with me," I tried to explain.

"That is not a reply to my question," Leafpool interrupted me, then added in a more level tone. "Just swallow your pride and be the first one who makes a move. Do you want to lose her again?"

"I will _not_ lose her, Leafpool, and you know it," I replied resolutely, squaring my shoulders. "Wasn't it you who had the vision of the starry paw prints, with us two walking side by side, meaning we would be always together?"

That made Leafpool mad. "You mouse-brain," she snapped. "It is a foolish thing to expect visions to do the job for you, instead of actually doing something yourself." Anger gradually gave way to sadness in her amber eyes. She knew how it felt to lose a loved one. "Besides," she added in a whisper, "I recently learned that the vision was not about you two being always together. It has... another meaning."

_Another meaning?_ I became worried. "What does it mean then?" _Will I really lose her?_

"I'm sorry, Brambleclaw," Leafpool meowed. "A medicine cat cannot always share StarClan's messages with warriors. Especially as you seem to rely too much on visions, instead of making an effort to right things."

I waited for a few moments, but seeing that the medicine cat would not tell me more, I turned around and pushed through the curtain of tendrils masking the entrance. Suddenly I heard a yowl of pain from behind, and as I looked back, I saw Leafpool crouched on the cave floor, seemingly in agony. I was by her side in a heartbeat, supporting her. "What happened? Are you feeling well?"

"I... I am fine," she meowed in a small voice. She _did _seem fine, and the pain vanished from her eyes. "But..."

Revelation flashed through my mind. Leafpool had always had some kind of connection with her sister; they were sometimes able to sense each other's feelings, since they had been kits. "Is Squirrelflight in trouble?" I asked, anxiety choking my throat.

Leafpool did not reply, but her eyes told me I was right. I dashed out of the den, towards the entrance. "Stay here, you are still weak! Send a patrol!" she yowled after me. However, most cats were away hunting or patrolling, and those who remained in the camp were needed to protect it in case of an attack. I decided to go alone; the thought of Squirrelflight in danger gave me grim determination, and I felt as if I could take on an entire ShadowClan party by myself.

As I raced through the thorn tunnel, I crashed into Mousefur, who was just returning to the camp, and knocked her to the ground. "Watch where you are going, you big lump!" she growled in anger as she leapt on me and grabbed me by the scruff, demanding an explanation. "Are you trying to kill a helpless elder? What are you up to now?"

"I'm sorry..." I panted. "Squirrelflight and Whitewing are in trouble... I think they were attacked by a ShadowClan party... I must find them before it's too late."

"Alone?" she demanded incredulously. "Think you've got nine lives, eh?"

"I have no choice. Most warriors are away, and we cannot leave the camp unguarded," I explained, tearing myself free. Every moment counted. "I will do my best."

I got to my paws, sniffed the air, then started running towards the ShadowClan border, following Squirrelflight's and Whitewing's scent trail. Mousefur, however, kept up with me. "I'm coming with you, then. I can still raise a claw, you know."

I nodded gratefully. Mousefur was still a fierce fighter, even though she had recently retired from warrior duties. We dashed through thick undergrowth, jumping over roots, dodging bushes, twigs tearing at our pelts. I felt no pain, no weariness; my paws moved as if they weren't even touching the ground.

I had to slow down from time to time to scent the ground and find out which direction they went. The trail led closer and closer to the ShadowClan border. Finally, I heard screeching and the sounds of fighting in the distance, and the breeze brought scent of blood and ShadowClan warriors. As we passed a large tree trunk, a fur-raising scene of cats fighting in a small clearing burst upon our view.

The first thing I sighted was Whitewing locked in combat with Cedarheart, fighting desperately, white fur dirty and bloody. Then I spotted Squirrelflight – she was pinned down under Russetfur and Rowanclaw, unable to attack or to get free, one foreleg matted with blood, Russetfur's claws tearing at her throat.

Mousefur jumped into battle on Whitewing's side, while I rushed to Squirrelflight's aid. With a hiss, I leaped forward and barrelled into Russetfur, knocking her off balance and sending her crashing against a tree trunk. Rowanclaw whipped around to face his new enemy, but before he could attack, I landed a powerful blow on his muzzle, claws unsheathed. Blood spattered, but Rowanclaw did not back down. He jumped on me, and we wrestled on the ground, tearing at each other's fur.

Russetfur managed to get up and returned to help her Clanmate, but Squirrelflight pulled herself together and managed to hold her off. Soon I gained the upper hand in the fight with Rowanclaw – the ginger tom, who was already wounded from the earlier battle, tore himself free and pelted off in the direction of the ShadowClan border.

Meanwhile, Mousefur and Whitewing managed to chase off Cedarheart, and he vanished as well. Russetfur, the ShadowClan deputy was alone against four ThunderClan warriors, and she was hurt, exhausted, and surrounded.

"Attacking our warriors on _our_ grounds? Do you have an excuse for this?" I hissed.

Russetfur stared at me with hatred in her green eyes. "This stretch will be ShadowClan territory. We need it, and we will take it eventually, no matter what you do. Just you wait until I return with a larger force." She whipped around, and although Mousefur tried to block her way, she pressed through and disappeared in the thickets.

I looked around the small clearing, blood and torn fur everywhere. Whitewing touched noses with Mousefur, then with me. "Thanks," she whispered. "You couldn't have come at a better time."

"What was this about?" I asked. "Do they want to claim this territory again? I thought the last Gathering convinced them to stay put."

"Apparently, Blackstar thinks otherwise," Whitewing answered. "We were out here hunting, still quite far from the border, and we spotted two of their warriors placing scent markers right here. We tried to scare them off, but Russetfur arrived too, and that changed the odds quite soon."

"Well, we scared them off now," Mousefur remarked. "And I hope Firestar will have a few harsh words with Blackstar at the next gathering."

I padded over to Squirrelflight, who was still lying on the ground. The flame-coloured warrior had quite a few scratches and a long gash on a foreleg. "Are you all right?" I asked her. "What were you doing here, this close to the border, only the two of you? Firestar told us he suspected danger from ShadowClan."

"What were _you_ doing here?" she retorted. "Shouldn't you rest in the camp, recovering, or something like that? We could have dealt easily with those crowfood eaters."

_So much for gratitude_, I thought, but did not answer. I was relieved that no serious damage was done. Still, I was sure that the memory of Squirrelflight being pinned down by two cats, wounded, claws tearing at her throat would haunt my nightmares for a long time.

"Can you stand up?" I asked, fearing that Russetfur would come back at any moment with a larger force, one we would stand no chance against. Squirrelflight tried, but was too weak from the fight. "I need to rest a bit," she admitted. I crouched and started cleaning her scratches with thorough licks. I expected her to protest, but she just let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a faint rustling of the undergrowth in the distance, several cats approaching. I pricked my ears and tried to make out their scent, but the wind was blowing in the other direction. _ShadowClan came back with more warriors_, I thought in despair. I stood up and prepared for battle.

Then I saw the familiar faces of Dustpelt and Thornclaw, and relief rushed over me. It was our patrol checking the border, not the ShadowClan deputy returning. Brackenfur and Rainwhisker appeared as well, and the four bounded up to meet us.

"Great StarClan, what happened?" Dustpelt asked. Whitewing explained it in a few brief words.

"Actually, we found some of their scent markers in our territory," Thornclaw remarked. "We followed their trail, but it seems we arrived too late. We should tell this to Firestar right away."

"We should rather go after those crowfood eaters and tear them apart," Mousefur suggested fiercely. "With seven battle-ready cats, we can teach them a little respect."

Several warriors agreed, and I also longed to beat Russetfur up, but this was not the time for revenge. "We cannot invade and start an open war with another Clan without our leader knowing about it. We must discuss it with Firestar first," I explained.

"Firestar will do nothing," Mousefur grunted crossly. "Lately, he wouldn't say boo to a mouse. I can even imagine him ceasing this stretch willingly, pitying those poor cats harassed by mean Twolegs."

The other warriors flinched at such disrespectful talk about our leader, but I had to admit there was some truth in what Mousefur said. ThunderClan had been acting as selfless heroes for too long, helping every Clan – and only getting attacked in return. I missed the old times, when Firestar had been a much fiercer leader... back when he was my mentor.

"I promise I will talk to him, and we won't leave the matter at that" I told them firmly. "Now we return to the camp. Dustpelt, you take the lead." The others agreed reluctantly. Whitewing helped Squirrelflight to her paws, and we started walking back towards the camp, leaving the small clearing behind.

* * *

I was in the leader's den, face to face with Firestar, neck fur bristling as we confronted each other.

"ThunderClan cannot act in the same reprehensible way as ShadowClan does," Firestar argued. "We always had a reputation of honourable warriors, and do not need to raid other Clans to prove our superiority. We can defend ourselves if needed. We beat them back, didn't we?"

"We did beat them back, but do you think they will give up?" I retorted. "We can't go on like this forever. Every Clan attacks us as they please, because they know we won't do anything except trying to defend ourselves. It is high time we taught ShadowClan a lesson."

"And what will that solve?" Firestar snarled. "We will have even more problems with them. They were about to kill two of our warriors today, despite the Code forbidding killing. What do you think they would do if we made the situation worse?"

I was incredulous and could barely control my anger. "We helped them countless times; you even lost a life while rescuing them from the old camp, and they repay us by trying to take our land and kill our cats; and all you can falter out is that we should bear it and defend ourselves, lest they get angry at us? I never thought my leader was such a coward."

Firestar eyed me for a long moment that seemed to extend timelessly, his blazing eyes boring into my very soul. Was he thinking I was too ambitious, and questioning his position? Was he thinking I was as ruthless and calculating as my father? I did not lower my gaze, and finally, he spoke.

"Some leaders would downright exile a warrior for such bold talk," he sighed, letting his fur lie flat. "But I know you speak from your heart, and you want the best for the Clan. However, I will not agree with raiding their camp. That is not something a decent warrior would do."

I thought for a few moments, then came up with another plan. "We could do to them what they did to us – try and claim a part of their territory, extending our grounds to the river in its entire length, as we proposed when we arrived at the lake. That stretch has no much value because of the Twoleg presence, but they will see we are not to be trifled with. We can cease it back later, in exchange for their help, their cooperation, or something."

_It is how a good deputy should act, to do the best for his Clan_, I reassured myself. _You are getting as calculating and ambitious like your father_, a little voice in my mind countered. I shook my head, trying to dismiss the whirling thoughts.

"I will think about it, and give an answer tomorrow," Firestar answered after pondering for a while. "And Brambleclaw... thanks for helping out that patrol. Whitewing told you fought well."

I was embarrassed; my leader was praising me right after I had nearly snapped his head off. "It was nothing," I managed. "It was Leafpool's merit; she was the one who sensed they were in danger." I gave him a respectful lick on the shoulder. "Good night Firestar... and thanks for hearing me out." _Thanks for still trusting me._

I padded out in the clearing, and towards the warriors' den. It was already late evening, stars twinkling through patches of clouds. The moon was a thin crescent in the night sky, steadily growing larger each day. Most warriors were already in the den. Squirrelflight was there too, already sleeping, her foreleg wrapped in cobwebs.

I lay down on the empty bedding besides hers, careful not to wake her up. Nevertheless, she opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to look at me, green eyes glowing in the dim light. I flattened myself to the ground, expecting her to snap at me or storm away, but instead she moved closer and gently touched her nose to mine.

A flood of warmth ran the length of my body. I licked her behind the ears and she rubbed the soft fur of her muzzle to my neck. "Squirrelflight," I murmured in her ear, "I'm sorry for being rude the other day. I was a stupid furball, I know."

"You still are," she purred, then pressed her flank against mine before going back to sleep. I watched her for long moments as her breathing became deeper and deeper, then I closed my eyes as well.

Suddenly, a wave of chilling cold touched my fur. The ground changed too; instead of the soft moss, there was wet, swampy earth beneath. I opened my eyes in frustration, and my heart sank as I made out a shadowy clearing flanked by dead trees. It was the Dark Forest.

_What am I doing here? I left this place behind for good_. However, in the back of my mind, I knew that I did not. Some cats had unfinished business with me, and I feared I still had to fight many battles before escaping the Dark Forest once and for all. _I must wake up, this is only a dream_. But I was trapped, and could not escape. I could not even stand up – my paws did not obey.

I heard the faint sound of pawsteps, and in the darkness at the far side of the clearing, I saw amber eyes full of hatred as Tigerstar stepped out from the shadows.


	6. Chapter 4: The Dark Forest Stirs

**Chapter 4**_  
The Dark Forest Stirs_

"Tigerstar," I hissed in anger, finally managing to pull myself together and get up to my paws. "What do you want of me?" I demanded. "Why did you bring me here? I already made my decision."

He continued walking slowly towards me, and I also padded forward, trying to look determined, although kept some distance from him so I could prepare in time in case he wanted to attack me. I presumed I would not get away without a fight – if I could get away from this place at all.

"And it was the wrong decision," he growled. His face was full of anger, amber eyes blazing, tail lashing from side to side. "You could have been leader, you could have united all four Clans together with your brother, but you were too stupid to seize the opportunity."

"I _do_ want to be a leader. That was why I accepted your advice and training. But if I ever will be one, it would be through hard work and sacrifice, not through murder. And if I ever will unite the Clans, it would be to help them in the time of need, not to oppress them," I retorted. "I am not a murderer like you."

Tigerstar sprang forward with lightning speed and landed a heavy blow on my head, catching me off guard. I collapsed on the ground, my vision blurring, searing pain flashing through my body.

"Do not be insolent with me, Brambleclaw," he spat, watching impassively as I lied on the damp and cold ground for several heartbeats before I managed to gather enough strength to get up.

"You are weak and foolish," he continued. "I always thought you would learn some sense in the end, but I was disappointed. You are soft, just like my father Pinestar was. Kittypets were more important to him than leading a Clan to greatness. You threw away everything – for what? A mangy kittypet who never trusted you, and his cocky daughter who is ready to toss you away each time you do something she doesn't approve."

His words were cold shards of ice cutting deep in my heart. He was right: neither Firestar, nor Squirrelflight did completely trust me, and I had suffered many times because of it. _Or did they? Firestar made me deputy after all... and Squirrelflight might give me a hard time sometimes, but only because she really cares about me..._

"I do not expect you to understand that. You never had any friends, you never loved any cat, you never respected anything," I continued to taunt him, although I knew that I was playing with my life. "And as for being weak and foolish – I am still around and succeeded in saving my Clan, while you and Hawkfrost failed, and will remain no more than a bad memory."

Tigerstar charged at me again. I tried to parry, but was not fast enough. Another blow, and I fell to the damp ground again, unable to get up any more.

"Don't assume that. Maybe you won a battle, but it is not over. I will walk in the dreams of other cats, those who are more cooperative, and willing to obey. And Hawkfrost will help me too." He sneered, and his eyes gleamed in anticipation. "And then I will get my revenge on everyone who defied me. I can assure that your dear Squirrelflight will die in the greatest agony a cat could experience. Then Firestar, and the others. And finally, you."

"I don't believe that," I replied, although a tidal wave of anxiety crashed over me. "You might be able to walk in _my_ dreams, as you are my father... but you cannot hurt others." Tigerstar never managed to contact other cats besides his offspring as far as I knew.

"Do you think so?" he asked, tilting his head sideways as if he was pondering something. "Soon, you will have an unpleasant surprise."

"I will not let you hurt any cat," I growled. _I will not give in to him, never again_.

"Really?" Tigerstar asked in a mocking tone. "Look at yourself; you cannot even stand up, let alone defend yourself, or any other cat. And even if you could, you cannot do anything against me. I am a powerful spirit, and cannot be hurt by mortal weaklings."

_Maybe not by mortal weaklings_, I thought. _But StarClan will not allow you to take over the Clans_.

"Why don't you kill me then?" I asked. _Did he trap me here just to have a pleasant chat?_

"I still have some uses for you..." he sneered. "Maybe I will need your _help_ in some matters. But rest assured, once I'm done, you will meet a gruesome death. Even your spirit will be vanquished, so it will never join StarClan."

_My help?_ I suspected I was the only cat from the waking world he could contact for the moment being. But no matter what he did, I would rather die than to do his bidding.

"I will not _help_ you with anything..." I began, but Tigerstar stepped forward and lifted his paw for another blow. I tried to dodge it, but my body was too heavy and exhausted, the miasma of the Dark Forest drawing the power from my muscles. Pain flashed through me, and I fell back into nothingness.

* * *

I woke up with a start. The first lights of dawn breaking through the thorny branches of the warriors' den announced the start of a new day. The sky was covered with heavy clouds, and a light rain was drizzling down from above. My nose and pads were damp with sweat and my entire body was aching with pain and weariness as I emerged from the nightmare. Some of my Clan mates were surrounding me worriedly.

"Are you all right?" Stormfur asked, resting his tail-tip on my flank, relieved when he saw I was finally awake. "You were twitching in your sleep for hours, and we could not wake you up for all the prey in the forest."

"I'm all right," I replied, although I was still shivering in small bursts. "I had a bad dream."

"About what?" Squirrelflight prompted curiously. I was relieved to see her, but also worried, remembering Tigerstar's threats. _I must protect her at all costs. And Firestar. And the Clan._

"Come on, Brambleclaw, you have been having bad dreams since we moved to the lake, waking up very battered each time, and you never tell me what is it about," she continued, gazing at me with that 'am-I-not-worth-your-trust?' look. I knew I had to answer something if I did not want to risk losing her again. But what should I say? If I told them about the Dark Forest, they would soon discover or conclude that I used to meet willingly with Tigerstar for moons and did what he asked... and then, they would exile or downright execute me. No cat forgot what my father did to the forest, and they would be eager to root out everything that was corrupted by him.

"It was about..." I began hesitantly, my mind racing, thinking about how much I should tell. But Brackenfur involuntarily came to my rescue, poking his nose into the den to announce that Firestar was about to call a Clan meeting, to discuss about the borders.

"Oh, we have to go... we will discuss it later," I told Squirrelflight as I got up and stretched.

"All right... I take it as a promise," she muttered, eyeing me sullenly.

"It is," I replied, gently touching my nose to hers. At that moment, we heard Firestar's yowl from the Highledge, calling the Clan for the meeting. The warriors slipped out of the den, one by one. Squirrelflight tried to stand up, but winced with pain as she tried to put the weight to her injured leg.

"Just stay here and rest," I told her, brushing my tail lightly against her back as I turned to leave the den.

"You are not a medicine cat to tell me when to rest," she protested. "And Firestar called a Clan meeting in case you did not hear, so I must go."

"Well... that was for cats who could catch their own prey," I replied in an innocent voice, "and right now you can barely stand, let alone catch something."

"You insolent furball," Squirrelflight hissed, butting me in the shoulder so hard that I tumbled headlong into the thick bush. She tried to make an angry face, but there was amusement in her eyes as she watched me struggling to free myself from the thorns.

After giving a quick grooming to my coat, I stepped out in the clearing to join the other warriors. Most cats were already there, eager to hear what the leader was about to say. The ground was wet and the drizzle was clinging to our coats. Firestar looked around to see if everyone was there and listening. "Cats of ThunderClan," he began, his voice flat in the damp dawn air. "You all heard about what happened yesterday, and you all know that ShadowClan have been trying to take a part of our grounds since we moved to the lake, while we are only defending ourselves. Today, they will be the ones needing to defend themselves."

There were loud cheers in the clearing. Every cat approved the idea, from warriors to queens and elders. Clearly, no cat liked to be always defensive and helpful while the other Clans attacked us as they pleased. I swept my gaze across the clearing and my heart swell with pride as I saw that there was unity among the cats, and all of them were dedicated to the Clan, despite smaller frictions between some warriors now and then.

_All of them?_ A dark shadow crossed my heart as I recalled the words that have been haunting me since that fateful day. _Do you think I did this alone? Do you think you are safe within your own Clan?_

"We will extend our territory so that the border will run along the stream in all its length," Firestar continued. "Thornclaw and Ashfur will place the scent markers. Ashfur, take Birchpaw too, it will be good experience for an apprentice. Me and Brambleclaw will stay nearby to help if needed. Dustpelt, you take a patrol to check the markers along the WindClan border. The other warriors will stay in the camp, to protect it in case we fail and ShadowClan launches a counter-attack. We are leaving now."

We stopped by the small fresh-kill pile to grab a bite to eat, then padded towards the entrance. Firestar took a few moments to say farewell to Sandstorm, touching noses and twining tails. I looked around for Squirrelflight, but the ginger warrior was nowhere to be seen; most likely she was in Leafpool's den to have her wound checked. I hoped she would be all right, and that she was not angry with me for keeping my dream secret.

After slipping through the thorn tunnel, we started out in a brisk pace. We passed a large, dead oak that was quite close to the camp; and I shivered with unease as it reminded me of the trees in the Dark Forest. Of course, this oak was always here, and I saw it countless times. However, now in newleaf it stood out from the other trees with its leafless, gnarled branches; and after my recent experience in the dream world, almost everything reminded me of the forbidding Dark Forest: the damp earth, the cloudy sky, the sound of rustling undergrowth as we picked our way through the forest.

The rain was already ceasing and the morning sun was shining through a break in the clouds by the time we arrived at the stream that made up the border from the lake up to a clearing. From that clearing, the remainder of the border went roughly in a straight line towards the distant hills, instead of following the stream that veered sharply away into ShadowClan grounds.

The clearing was empty. The Twolegs had left together with their green pelts they used to sleep under; they obviously did not like the rainy weather. Thornclaw, Ashfur and Birchpaw started out to place the markers along the stream, Firestar and I followed them silently from a certain distance, hiding behind trees. The breeze brought a faint but fresh scent of ShadowClan warriors; however, we could not spot any cats from the rival clan. I kept tasting the air and looking around, my claws itching to tear into Russetfur's flesh.

The patrol slowly made its way upstream. We were almost halfway to the Greenleaf Twolegplace when we heard fierce yowls ahead, heralding the arrival of ShadowClan cats.

"What do you think you are doing here?" It was Cedarheart's voice. "Taking our land? Just what I would expect from you crowfood eaters."

"You are the one to talk?" Thornclaw retorted. "Your Clan is the one trying constantly to rip us off. This is our land now, as our leader claimed it at our first Gathering after we had arrived to the lake."

There were angry yowls, and splashes as the ShadowClan cats crossed the shallow stream to charge into our warriors. Firestar raced ahead to join the battle, with me following him close behind. As we emerged from behind the trees, I saw that there were four cats of the rival Clan – a bit too much for a regular patrol. Cedarheart was leading them, the others being Oakfur, Rowanclaw and – to my dismay – my sister Tawnypelt. I murmured a short prayer to StarClan to protect her, to protect us, to protect the Clan in general, then sprang forward to attack Rowanclaw, a ginger tom.

It was a bitter fight. The ShadowClan cats were formidable opponents; they fought fiercely to protect their territory, and they were used to the damp ground. Despite my strength and experience, Rowanclaw scored his claws down my flank several times, and even if I got only shallow scratches, I seldom had an opportunity to attack. But finally I managed to land a powerful blow on his head that knocked him over, then jumped on him to pin him down and raked my claws across his back.

As I quickly glanced around, I saw Firestar battling with Cedarheart, Oakfur tryinf to pin Thornclaw down, and Birchpaw lying on the ground. And right next to me, Ashfur was fighting with Tawnypelt, both of them bleeding from many scratches. My first instinct was to jump at my sister's aid, and made a great effort to control myself. Surely I couldn't show disloyalty to my Clan in the face of all cats. All I could do was to hope that my sister would not be injured too badly.

Rowanclaw took advantage of my hesitation and tore himself free, but instead of attacking, he jumped through the river and vanished in the undergrowth, small beads of blood marking his trail. I rushed to the aid of Thornclaw, who seemed to be in the most desperate situation, and managed to chase off Oakfur. Seeing the turn of the battle, Cedarheart turned to run as well. Only Ashfur and Tawnypelt remained locked in combat, both tired and wounded.

Once more, I was torn between loyalty to my sibling and to my Clan, but before I could decide which cat to help, Firestar separated them with a yowl, and Tawnypelt retreated too. I looked after her with anxiety and shame in my heart – this was one of the scenes I always tried to avoid; us siblings from different Clans meeting in battle. Before disappearing in the shadows of the pines, Tawnypelt looked back and our gazes met, pain and reproach in her eyes. She gave me a barely visible flick with her tail, as if she wanted me to follow her.

"You fought well, all of you. Is everyone all right?" Firestar prompted as he took in the scene. We all had some shallow wounds, but none of the injuries was serious. Birchpaw pulled himself together too; he was not wounded, as I first thought, just passed out for a short time from a blow to his head. We took some time to clean ourselves, then the leader urged us on. "Let's continue upstream and finish the mission."

"I will rather go and check in the opposite direction," I offered. "Maybe they regrouped and will cross the water downstream to attack us from the back, or even to raid our camp."

"Good thinking," Firestar approved. "Take Thornclaw with you."

"I would rather go alone," I declined. My leader looked at me with a hint of suspicion, but finally nodded and pelted away with the other cats.

I walked to the spot where I had seen Tawnypelt vanish, and after I made sure the patrol could not see or hear me anymore, I called my sister's name. She stepped out from behind a large pine tree and waded across the stream to meet me. Her fur was ruffled, and blood was dripping from a gash on her shoulder.

"Tawnypelt..." I greeted her, and stepped forward, but she retreated and snarled at me. "Why did your Clan do this, Brambleclaw?" she demanded. "Blackstar will rip you apart when he hears about this. I never thought ThunderClan would do such thing."

"Oh yes?" I retorted, my neck fur bristling. "You mean that only _you_ are allowed to raid others? Your Clan attacks us each and every moon, trying to take our land... despite what we did for them, helping them so many times..."

"That might be so," she answered, a bit embarrassed. "Still, your Clan does not need more land. Yet mine does, because of the Twolegs. They are walking around all over the place, making noise, making fires, scaring away the prey..." She trailed off; weaknesses of a Clan should not be discussed with warriors from rival Clans.

"Really?" I asked. "You do not seem short of prey," I observed with a slight edge to my voice. All ShadowClan cats I saw were well fed, sleek and muscular. Even if there was less prey, there was no shortage.

"Well... maybe not," she admitted, her anger softening. "But that does not mean Blackstar will allow ShadowClan's property be taken away just like that." She stepped forward and pressed her muzzle to mine. "Brambleclaw, Blackstar is not a cat to be trifled with. He is a good and strong-minded leader, but he is cruel. Do you remember those kittypets in the Twoleg nest on our territory? They had kits... and Blackstar caught and killed them. I mean, I hate those kittypets for killing Talonpaw... but killing innocent kits? Watch your back, Brambleclaw... he is ruthless."

That was so like Blackstar. Nevertheless, I decided I would not be afraid of him. "He should be the one watching his back," I murmured, pressing my flank against Tawnypelt's. Then I began cleaning her shoulder wound with gentle licks, and she let out a deep purr.

"I miss you," I whispered. Once we were both in the same Clan, but Tawnypelt could not stand the taunts of the Clan warriors and elders, suspicious of us because we were Tigerstar's kits. She left to join ShadowClan to escape our father's legacy, while I remained in ThunderClan and proved them that I was unlike my father. "You should have stayed. See, it was possible for me to find my place in the Clan, and even to become deputy." We talked this over several times, and although I respected her decision, I missed her every day.

"You found your place, but at what price? And cats respecting you does not mean they are your friends," she observed. I had to admit that she was right. Even if most warriors looked up to me, I never had any true friends. Like Firestar had Greystripe, for instance. The only cat I really felt close to was Squirrelflight – at least when we were not mad at each other.

Tawnypelt turned around to leave. "I have to go, or my Clan mates will be worried," she explained.

"Wait," I called after her, as I remembered something she might be able to help with. She looked at me curiously. "You know that I... I used to meet Tigerstar in my dreams," I confessed. She knew about the Dark Forest too, we met there once, but she refused to ally with Tigerstar. "I was a mousebrain, I know. I realized I was wrong, and in the end, I refused the path he wanted me to walk. Hawkfrost did not, and I had to kill him in order to protect ThunderClan. Even so, Tigerstar still haunts me in my dreams, hurting me, and speaking about revenge on my Clan. What should I do?"

Tawnypelt looked alarmed, and pressed her flank to mine in comfort. "I am happy that you finally took the right decision," she meowed. "But from what you say, it seems escaping Tigerstar will not be that easy. I don't know what should you do. You must ask a medicine cat, they know the ways of the spirit world."

"How did _you_ escape him?" I asked. I knew she was visited by our father in her dreams as well.

"I just refused to do his bidding the very first time we met, and he left me alone," she shrugged. "You did not, so you must live with the consequences." There was no reproach in her voice; it was merely a dry observation. "But I hope you will be able to get away from him. May StarClan be with you."

She crossed the stream and disappeared in the shadows of the pine trees. I gazed at the other bank, lost in thoughts, until a loud hiss made me start. I whipped around to see a grey cat jumping down from a low branch of an oak tree.

"Well, well, what an intimate scene that was," the cat remarked. "What kind of betrayal are you planning this time?"

"Ashfur. Are you spying on me, or what?" I growled, flexing my claws involuntarily. Nervousness washed over me – did he hear me talking about my visits to Tigerstar?

"Yeah, and a good thing I did," he sneered. "You lied to Firestar; instead of checking the border, you were rather discussing with an enemy warrior. Do you conspire with ShadowClan this time to help you to kill Firestar?"

"I exchanged a few words with _my sister_." I took a menacing step forward. "What is your problem? You were always good friends with Tawnypelt while she was in ThunderClan."

"Sure, _while she was in ThunderClan_," Ashfur imitated me. "But she abandoned her Clan in order to follow a murderer like Tigerstar. It seems that treachery and disloyalty runs in the family."

I could barely resist the urge to jump on him and teach him some humility, but I knew very well that he wanted exactly that – to bait me in attacking him, so he could denounce me in the front of the Clan as an aggressive deputy who beats up his warriors for telling the truth. He continued yapping, but my attention was caught by the sound of faint rustling, and I could smell the scent of ShadowClan. "Shut your mouth already," I snapped at Ashfur. "Some cats are coming... two or three of them."

At that moment, I saw a white head emerging from the undergrowth below the shadowy pine trees on the other bank, and I instantly recognized Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader. He was followed by his deputy Russetfur, and Cedarheart.

"Nice to see such unity and friendship between ThunderClan warriors," the leader sneered; obviously, he heard us arguing. "A good thing that you didn't decide to tear each other apart, though. Because I want to do that myself."

He proceeded through the shallow water and ran towards Ashfur, while the other two cats charged at me, attacking from two sides. Cedarheart was in much worse shape because of the recent fight, and I assumed it would be easy to chase him off. I kept attacking the dark grey tom, while moving in a circle in order to keep him between Russetfur and me. My plan worked, and soon the warrior was running for his life.

Russetfur was a much tougher opponent though, and even if I was stronger, I was already tired from today's fights. I staggered back from a blow, then slipped on the muddy ground and fell over as she barrelled into me. Claws were tearing at my flank, drawing blood, but I managed to throw her off with a powerful kick of my hind legs. As she stumbled over, she smashed her leg against a sharp stone that cut a deep wound on her paw. She got up, trying to continue the fight, but I was in clear advantage and after exchanging some more blows, Russetfur followed Cedarheart's example and fled.

I turned around to see Blackstar still fighting with Ashfur, both injured and bloody. The grey warrior was pinned down under the ShadowClan leader, blood flowing freely from a deep wound along his flank.

I dashed forward to knock Blackstar over, but he anticipated my move and dodged my attack, while clawing at my shoulder as momentum took me past him. I slipped on the muddy ground and fell over. Blackstar seized the opportunity and pounced on me, but I rolled away and got up. We were circling each other for several heartbeats.

"Do you think you can beat me, a leader with nine lives?" he growled menacingly. "And do you think your Clan can take away my lands just like that?"

"We had enough of _your_ Clan trying to steal _our_ lands. And yes, I _will_ beat you," I replied confidently. Ragged and injured from the battle with Ashfur, he did not look like the fierce leader one had to fear. I reluctantly had to admit that Ashfur was a good fighter, managing to leave the ShadowClan leader in such a bad shape. "For a change, you should fight warriors instead of killing kittypets' kits, you coward," I continued taunting him.

Blinded by anger, Blackstar flew at me. I rolled on my back and batted at him with all four paws, satisfaction welling up inside me when he could not avoid the vicious claws tearing in his flesh. He staggered and collapsed in agony, while I prepared to give him the final blow in case he wanted to continue the fight.

"All right, you won this battle," the leader panted. I let him get up, and he sidled towards the stream. "But it is not over, and when we meet again, I will have no mercy."

I shuddered, as his words reminded me to what Tigerstar said in the Dark Forest. However, I did not deign to answer his empty threats. _So much about beating a leader with nine lives_, I thought as I glared after him. The wind brought no scent of other cats; it seemed that ShadowClan gave up for the time being, and Firestar's patrol was still somewhere far away.

I padded over to Ashfur. "Are you all right?" I inquired.

"What does it look like, you idiot?" he groaned. He was lying in a bloody heap, too weak to get up. I crouched next to him and cleaned his wounds with rough licks, then gathered some large leaves from near the stream and tried to stop the bleeding.

"Thank you... Brambleclaw," he rasped, seemingly making a massive effort to say thanks to the cat he disliked so much. "You saved my life back there, I guess."

"Don't mention it. I also have to thank you," I pressed out the words. "I could not have dealt with all three of them by myself."

"I think I can make it back to the ThunderClan camp," he declared after a bit of resting. He got up and took a few shaky steps. We were quite a long distance from the camp though. I tasted the air, but Firestar's patrol was still nowhere. "All right, let's go," I sighed, and we started walking slowly, with him leaning on my shoulder for support.

* * *

I winced as Leafpool applied a poultice of marigold on my flank. "Honestly, Brambleclaw," she sighed, "since you have become deputy, I spend almost all herbs and cobwebs on you."

"Will you stop teasing me," I grunted, seeing the amusement on her face. "I came through today's battles more or less in one piece."

"I am sure you will make up for that at the next opportunity," she purred, flicking her tail-tip across my ear. I lapped up the poppy seeds she put in front of me, then got up to leave. Before I reached the entrance, I stopped and turned back, remembering something I wanted to ask her.

"Leafpool... can I ask you a question? I need some advice from a medicine cat."

"Of course, Brambleclaw. What is it?" Curiosity gleamed in her eyes. I looked around to see if any cat overheard us. Only Ashfur was in the den, and he was sleeping deeply, his injuries tended to.

"You know that even warriors have sometimes visions of StarClan," I began. She nodded. "But there are evil spirits too, who are not from StarClan, yet they still can walk in the dreams of cats. Is there any way to prevent that?"

"Does Tigerstar still visit you?" she asked me point-blank. Her face was a mask of fear.

"What?" I yowled, and jumped back in terror, falling over as I got entangled in a bedding. "What do you mean?" _She knows about my visits to Tigerstar. This is the end for me_.

"Come on, Brambleclaw, I am a medicine cat and see much of the spirit world. I knew about it for a long time. But I also know that in the end you made the right decision, however hard it was. I will always respect you for that."

"You didn't tell it to other cats?" I inquired, shivering. "To Firestar? Squirrelflight?"

"Keep your fur on." She brushed her tail-tip over my ears. "I told it to no cat. But as for your question... you imply that Tigerstar still visits you? Why would he do that? You already made your decision."

"He wants to take his revenge on me. And on Firestar, and on others," I meowed, my voice breaking as I remembered his threats. "And apparently, he can trap me in the dream world whenever he pleases. That is why I asked how to get away. Or rather, how to stop him altogether. Even if I can get away, he might be able to trap or influence other cats."

Leafpool twitched her tail uneasily. She looked nervous, even desperate. "I don't know what to do. But I will ask our ancestors at my next visit to the Moonpool. There will be a half-moon tomorrow evening." That was the time when medicine cats visited their ancestors in the spirit world.

"Were there any other cats from the Dark Forest visiting others in their dreams?" I inquired. There were many spirits in the Dark Forest, and they always had the opportunity to do what Tigerstar did.

"No cat that I know of," Leafpool admitted. "I thought that the Place of No Stars was sealed from both the waking world and StarClan's hunting grounds. I believe that Tigerstar is the first cat to break this barrier. Maybe he has special powers... I don't know."

"That would mean that all Clans might be in danger," I remarked.

"Come on, Brambleclaw, he is just one cat. He cannot take on the entire living world by himself. It seems that you are the only cat he is able to reach. And I am sure you can defeat him in the end. StarClan will be on your side."

I was not entirely reassured, but eventually I got up and shook the moss from my coat. "Thanks for everything. You... you won't tell about it to Firestar, right? That I used to meet with Tigerstar. I will be killed if some cat learns that..."

"Oh, cut that out already. Of course I won't," she reassured me, brushing her tail-tip along my flank as I hesitantly padded towards the entrance. "You should rest today. You are tired, lost much blood, and had a restless night from what I heard."

The camp was bustling with tension and activity. Although Firestar did not call a meeting to announce our success yet, every cat heard about it and was excited. I stopped by the fresh-kill pile to have a bite, then made my way to the warriors' den. Several cats were taking a sunhigh nap under the thorn bush. I spotted Squirrelflight sleeping soundly and I sighed with relief to see her safe.

_I can assure that your dear Squirrelflight will die in the greatest agony a cat could experience,_ Tigerstar's words echoed in my mind.

_No. I will not let you hurt any cat. _I curled up next to her protectively, drawing in her scent and watching as her sleek ginger pelt rose and fell with every deep breath.

She opened her eyes sleepily, as if she had sensed my presence. "Brambleclaw... oh no! What did they do to you?"

"Only some scratches... I'll survive," I assured her. "We won, and that's what counts."

"I knew that ThunderClan would win," she purred, pressing closer to me and rasping her tongue affectionately over my ear. We kept sharing tongues as she asked me to tell the story of my fight with Blackstar over and over again.

* * *

_The stars of Silverpelt cast a frosty light over the shadowy forest clearing. Four cats surrounded the small pool in the middle, their pelts glowing with a pale light and eyes shining like small moons as they stared at the image forming in the water. The surface reflected not only the stars above, but also showed the shape of a dark tabby cat wandering in a newleaf forest covered in soft darkness, amber eyes glowing as he hesitantly stopped to stare uneasily at a dead oak. Wind ruffled the surface of the pool, and the image dissolved._

_A blue-gray she-cat spoke. "Leafpool was right. This is the first time when a cat from the Place of No Stars is able to break its barriers. I thought it was over when Brambleclaw finally chose another path."_

"_Tigerstar will not stop here, Bluestar," the speckled grey tom standing next to her replied. "Soon not only Brambleclaw, but all Clans will be in danger."_

"_What makes you think that, Goosefeather?" a third cat asked. "How can _one_ cat do anything like that?" She was incredulous, but there was fear in her amber eyes. Goosefeather might not have completely regained his sanity, even after joining StarClan, but there was one thing he regained: the respect of the others. Because his prophecies have somehow all came true, no matter how strange or obscure they sounded at first._

"_Yet he can, Spottedleaf," Goosefeather replied. "He has a special power; that's why he was the first to reach out from the Place of No Stars. His family has the stars in his blood."_

"_That was what we always feared," murmured Thunderstar, the fourth cat. Seeing the curious face of Spottedleaf, he explained. "There are some families blessed with a dormant power... or cursed, if you want to put it that way. A living cat with the power might learn to walk in other cat's dreams, and in other realms, like in StarClan's hunting grounds. And even shape or destroy them. This is the first time a cat like this arrives to the Dark Forest, and we don't know what he might be able to do."_

"_Wait," Spottedleaf interrupted. "Tigerstar never had any powers while was alive."_

"_A good thing he didn't," Bluestar remarked._

"_It is a dormant power, as I said," explained Thunderstar. "A living cat with the stars in his blood can master it only after a lengthy and hard training. Then, he will become a Starwalker, one with power over the spirit realms. That is a dangerous thing of course, and Starwalkers were exiled a long time ago from the living world, so there is no mentor who could teach anyone. We are safe from them."_

"_But once dead and joined a spirit realm, the powers may surface, even if unknown and untrained," added Goosefeather. "That's what apparently happened to Tigerstar after he got to the Place of No Stars. And likely to Hawkfrost."_

"_But for now, apparently they can reach only Brambleclaw," Thunderstar remarked. "Other cats are not yet in danger. We should wait and see what happens before deciding what to do."_

_A sleek she-cat with shiny black pelt emerged from the forest and padded closer to the four felines sitting near the pool. "Wait and see what happens? We must help Brambleclaw _now_. I know StarClan's code forbids us from interfering with the living world, but... we can't let him just die." Her green eyes glazed over with tears. "It is not his fault."_

"_I am sorry, Leopardfoot," Thunderstar answered, dipping his head. "I know you are proud of your grandson and want to protect him. But we cannot do anything. We are powerless against the Place of No Stars."_

"_Maybe _we_ cannot... but are there any cats with stars in their blood in StarClan? They might be able to help us," Bluestar suggested._

"_None that I know of," Thunderstar replied. "Pinestar had the power, but he left the Clans, in order to avoid joining StarClan. He somehow learned about his heritage, and feared StarClan would not accept him because he would have become too powerful in a spirit realm."_

"_I know he left to become a kittypet. But he _is_ a member of StarClan," wondered Bluestar. "He even gave me one of my nine lives. And I never knew he had the power."_

"_As I said, it runs in the family," Goosefeather explained patiently. "And you probably know that he did not really leave to live as a kittypet; he moved on and joined some other group of cats, called an Order, far away from here, whose spirit realm accepted him. Yet he sometimes visits StarClan. That's how he gave you a life."_

"_If it runs in the family... does Tigerstar's kits have the power as well?" asked Leopardfoot. "Can they help us?"_

_Goosefeather stared in the distance, pale blue eyes unfocused. "Only Brambleclaw... usually, only toms inherit this power. He is the last cat of the Clans with the stars in his blood. He will become a Starwalker, and will use his powers to seal away the Place of No Stars for good."_

_The other cats shuddered with horror. "A Starwalker! We cannot allow that," Thunderstar gasped. "Then he would have power not only over the Place of No Stars, but also over StarClan, and all other realms! We cannot allow a cat to be that powerful!"_

"_And remember that Starwalkers were exiled from the living world a long time ago," added Bluestar. "No one could mentor Brambleclaw."_

"_I did not say he _should_ be one. I said he _will_ be one. That is what I see," Goosefeather meowed, still staring in the distance as if he interpreted some voice or sign coming from far away. "ThunderClan's protector will undertake a long and dangerous quest to restore Penumbra. Three cats will help him in his task. His kin with stars in his blood will watch him from the skies to protect him from evil. His mate will follow him to the end of the world and beyond to give him comfort and strength. His brother who tried to destroy him will be the one to help him during the last confrontation. He will succeed, but will be feared by all cats, and will have no place in StarClan."_

_The other cats stared him speechlessly. All except Leopardfoot, who gazed at the small pool; the surface of the water was smooth again, and showing the shape of a large tabby in the night forest. "Have no fear," she whispered. "Help is on its way."_


	7. Chapter 5: Taken by the Waves

**Chapter 5  
**_Taken by the Waves_

Heavy clouds covered the night sky and a soft darkness engulfed the stone hollow. The warm air was full with the scents of the newleaf forest, a faint breeze stirring it from time to time. The cats slept soundly in their dens in a deep, contented sleep. All except me. I stood in the middle of the clearing, guarding the camp, listening to the distant noises of the night. Once again, I was afraid to sleep. I was sure that Tigerstar would seek me out again the moment I entered the world of dreams, so I rather decided to stay awake and take up guard duty, watching over my Clan mates.

I padded around the clearing, taking in every scent and noise. Nothing moved and there was no sound, save for the breathing of the cats and the breeze occasionally rustling the canopies far above.

Slipping through the thorn tunnel, I emerged into the night forest. I tasted the air and listened intently, but there was only the scuttling of some small creature through the grass, and the soft beating of large wings as an owl flew by. No sign of danger – no badgers, no foxes, no ShadowClan raiders to worry about. Actually, we did not see any ShadowClan warriors after we had chased Blackstar away; but this was only the silence before the storm, and I was sure that there would be a couple of fierce battles the following days. Not cat was afraid, though. We were stronger than any other Clan, and our warriors patrolled the border all afternoon and evening.

My pawsteps took me to the large dead oak tree close to our camp, the one that reminded me of the Dark Forest with its leafless, gnarled branches. It was barely visible in the starless night, and even if I knew it was only a tree like any other, I could not help thinking of Tigerstar's realm.

_What will the next confrontation bring?_ I was sure there would be a next one. Even if Tigerstar said he would not kill me just yet, I wondered what he wanted to do with me, and with the Clan. _Will I be able to defeat him? Will Leafpool manage to get some advice from the ancestors?_

The clouds broke up to reveal a patch of the night sky. A voice echoed in my mind, and I had the illusion of a black cat with stars gleaming in her pelt sitting next to me. _Have no fear. Help is on its way._

A feeling of relief washed over my body, chasing away the dark thoughts. Someone, up there in Silverpelt, was watching over me.

* * *

The sun shone through scattered clouds and bathed the stone hollow in hot, golden rays. Kits were playing in front of the nursery and warriors were sunbathing in the clearing; even Firestar was lying on a warm stone beneath the Highledge, enjoying the sunshine, while Sandstorm was affectionately grooming his pelt.

It was not even sunhigh, but I was already tired, barely able to keep my eyes open. I still fought against falling asleep, knowing that Tigerstar will likely seek me out in the dream world. _It is no use_, I thought. _Sooner or later I must sleep, and then he will find me again_.

It was time to send out the sunhigh patrols. I asked Thornclaw to take a patrol to check the ShadowClan border, and Cloudtail was sent to the WindClan border. As I glanced around to see what else needed to be done, I saw Brackenfur approaching.

"Hi, Brambleclaw," he greeted me. "What about the trainings we used to do in early newleaf? I guess we should pick them up again."

We used to do some battle training in a mossy clearing not far from the camp, although we abandoned it after the badger attack about a moon ago. With only one apprentice, we needed the training to practice our warrior skills.

"Brackenfur is right," Firestar meowed, jumping down from the stone and padding up to us. "Even if ThunderClan has the best warriors, we still have to keep up our skills, especially as we can expect trouble from ShadowClan. Brambleclaw, you can take some cats each day or two to that clearing where we used to spar. We can start it today; I'm coming as well to oversee it."

"We wish to come too," Stormfur approached us with his mate, Brook, by his side. "Brook needs some more training." The slender tabby she-cat came from the Tribe where she was a prey-hunter, and had no battle experience. Even if Stormfur did his best to teach her, there was room for improvement.

"Who else wishes to come?" I asked, looking around. "What about Daisy, she should be trained as well, at least in basic things."

"Forget that, she is hopeless," Brackenfur murmured in a low voice.

Before we could set out, Squirrelflight padded up to us, bushy tail held high. "Can I come too?" she asked, anticipation gleaming in her eyes.

A jolt of excitement rushed through my body picturing myself sparring with the ginger warrior, my skills against hers, bodies pressed together, trying to pin each other down. However, I could see that she was still limping a bit with her wounded leg, so I could not let her to come.

"No," I replied. "You are still not healed completely."

"I'm fine," she snapped, her whiskers twitching irritably. "Will you stop fussing over me?"

Well, her usual temper was back, so indeed she was fine. However, Leafpool was on another opinion. Hearing the argument, she stuck her head out of her den. "Squirrelflight, as I said this morning, that wound could use some more healing. No sparring for you today."

Squirrelflight shot her a sharp glance. "All right," she grumbled. "But I'm going with them anyway, even if just to watch. I want to see that bossy furball of a Brambleclaw being beaten up by all other cats."

"I believe a ThunderClan warrior has better things to do than standing around and watching," Firestar remarked dryly. "You will stay here and help Birchpaw in his duties; it is hard for him to do all the apprentice work alone."

"And of course, to protect the camp from invaders while we are away," I added quickly, seeing the crestfallen expression on her face. "Next time you will come as well." She lightened up a bit and fleetingly pressed her muzzle to mine before bounding away to find Birchpaw.

Leafpool was not finished with us, though. "As for you, Brambleclaw, you shouldn't exert yourself either, you are still recovering from yesterday's fights," he addressed me. "But I suppose you are too stubborn to listen to reason."

"I'm all right, Leafpool," I sighed. "We must do the training. If there is an attack, the enemy won't wait for me to recover before attacking."

"See, this is what I was talking about," the medicine cat muttered, retreating in her den.

Spiderleg joined us as well, and the six of us soon arrived at the clearing. Lined with soft moss and lit up by brilliant rays of sunshine streaming through the green canopies, it was much more welcoming than in leafbare. I walked to the centre of the clearing, surveying the ground, looking for sharp stones or thorny plants that could hurt us while sparring.

"All right, who is first?" I called, surveying the group of five cats. It was a deputy's duty to help the warriors keep up their skills – I even did such trainings before I became deputy.

Brook stepped forward, and after I gave her a curt nod, she charged at me. I tried to avoid her attack by jumping sideways, but she anticipated the move and scored a hit on my flank. I attacked next, and she parried successfully. "Very good," I remarked as we stopped to draw breath. We continued sparring, me giving advice when needed, and showing her new moves.

"Keep this up, and you will be one of our best warriors," I remarked as we finally separated. Indeed, Brook had talent. Her grey eyes shone with pride on hearing the praise, and bowed her head before walking back to the edge of the clearing to sit down beside her mate.

Spiderleg came next, then Brackenfur. Their skills could have used some improvement in my opinion – Spiderleg was still an inexperienced warrior, and Brackenfur spent most of his time with Sorreltail recently, not practicing his skills – but still, they were tough opponents. By the time we finished, I could barely stand on my paws. I wanted to retreat, but Firestar stepped forward. "Can I try it too?"

I longed to have some rest, and first wanted to ask Firestar to spar with Brackenfur or Stormfur, but I did not want to appear weak. _It will be easy; I used to beat him even when I was an apprentice_. Therefore, I nodded, and prepared myself for his attack. We sparred for what seemed an eternity, testing each other's skills and trying out new moves. We wrestled, rolling on the ground, then sprang apart, circling each other, looking for faults in each other's defense.

Glancing sideways for a moment, I saw the cats watching us from the edge of the clearing, Stormfur waving his tail in encouragement. The leader saw my lack of attention and caught me off guard, knocking me over, then trying to pin me down. I threw him aside, but before I could get up, he attacked again. Lying on my back, I batted at him with all four paws, but he anticipated the move. _Of course he did; he taught me this move himself!_ He pounced on me from sideways, and my vision blurred as his weight knocked the air from my lungs.

"It seems I won," Firestar purred as he got up. There was pride and amusement in his eyes. _Was he proud that he won? Was he satisfied that his deputy is a good fighter? Or... did he imagine he was fighting with Tigerstar, a battle he always longed for, and was denied to have it in the end?_ "Better luck next time. I guess I am still the best fighter in the forest," he added, brushing his tail along my flank as he started to walk to the edge of the clearing. I was exhausted, and several heartbeats passed until I finally got to my paws to follow him.

"No way. Brambleclaw just let you win," Brackenfur teased him. "Right, Brambleclaw?"

"Of course he didn't," Spiderleg grunted. "Our great deputy fought like a kittypet all along."

_Why was Spiderleg always so hostile towards me?_ I wondered. I could understand that Ashfur was mad at me – because Squirrelflight chose me in the end – but what was Spiderleg's problem?

"You did not say that when he beat you up just a little while ago," Brackenfur remarked.

Spiderleg wanted to retort, and Stormfur was about to say something as well, but there was a flash of white fur at the other side of the clearing, and we saw Cloudtail bounding up to meet us. He was panting; obviously, he ran a long distance to find us.

"Firestar," he greeted the leader with a nod. "The others told me I would find you here. We spotted Twolegs in our territory, two of them, near the WindClan border. Dustpelt followed them, to find out what they want, and I came to warn you. I thought you would like to know about it."

"Show me where you saw them," Firestar prompted.

"I'm coming too," I meowed. As the deputy, I wanted to see what new possible danger was the Clan facing.

"All right," the leader approved. "Brackenfur, you should come too. The rest of you, go back to the camp, the training is over for today. Hunt for some fresh-kill on the way back. We try to return soon."

Cloudtail took the lead, and the four of us dashed through the forest towards the WindClan border. Uneasiness mounted in me. We never saw any Twolegs in this part of our land – they always kept to the large clearing at the ShadowClan border – and I could not imagine why they were here. _Will they start a fire? Will they build a Thunderpath? Will they tear down our forest?_

As we approached the stream that made up the border, we soon picked up the fresh scent of the Twolegs passing by recently. "They passed here, and they walked upstream," the white warrior explained.

Firestar perked up his ears and sniffed the ground. "Right. Me and Brackenfur will go after them to see what are they up to. You and Brambleclaw will go in the opposite direction, following the scent trail to find out where they came from. If the trail leads in WindClan's territory, find a patrol of theirs, warn them, and ask if they saw the Twolegs."

We separated and I followed Cloudtail. The trail led towards the lake, roughly in a straight line instead of keeping to the stream. We padded cautiously – more Twolegs could be close by, and we did not want them to see us. Eventually, we arrived to the shore, and we saw a small wooden boat, one that most Twolegs used for crossing the lake.

"They came with this," the white warrior stated the obvious, sniffing around. The boat rested precariously on the shore; it was not tied to anything, and was bobbing slightly as the small waves of the lake continued hitting it. "Let's see what it contains," he meowed, and before I could object, he jumped up to the edge and disappeared inside.

"Come back, will you," I hissed, padding forward. "They can come back any time and catch us! We found out where did they come from, now we should head back and report to Firestar."

"Oh, come on, Brambleclaw, looking around won't do any harm," Cloudtail's voice came from inside. "We can find out _why_ did they come, and if they are a danger to us." I heard the sound of some pelt tearing. "Wow, look at this!"

Curiosity got the better of me and I jumped up to the side, then landed heavily on the floor of the boat, causing it to creak. There were some wooden sticks, a rope, and some pack covered with blue pelt that Cloudtail was tearing apart. It contained some pelts Twolegs wore in bad weather, some small shiny things of various sizes, and some kind of yellow ball. We spent some time examining the things we found, but all seemed harmless.

"I'd say it's time we returned to the camp," I remarked nervously. "I want to know what Firestar learned about the Twolegs. And I want to get out of here before they come back and capture us."

"All right," Cloudtail sighed resignedly, giving up playing with the yellow ball. "Let's go then."

I jumped up to peek over the rim, and almost fell back in terror when I saw only open water where the shore should have been. The boat got loose, and we were slowly drifting towards the middle of the lake.


	8. Chapter 6: Enemy Territory

**Chapter 6  
**_Enemy Territory_

I lay at the bottom of the boat, ears flattened back, fur bristling involuntarily. Our situation became more and more hopeless; we had been drifting for what seemed like forever, and by then we were somewhere in the middle of the lake. The continuous bobbing of the boat made my stomach lurch.

It was afternoon, and clouds were gathering on the sky. Cloudtail was looking in the distance, standing on his hind legs to look over the edge. He was not as distressed as I was, and was convinced that some Twolegs would notice the drifting boat eventually, and rescue us. I got up and joined him, peeking over the rim, hoping that the currents brought us closer to a shore, but I could barely make out the distant trees. Several other boats were gliding on the water, but none came close to us.

"To think that our Clan is in danger, and we are wasting time here..." I sighed. "Maybe ShadowClan attacked our camp... maybe those Twolegs set the forest on fire..."

"It's not like we can do anything about it now," Cloudtail replied. "Just go back to sleep."

"I was not sleeping," I grunted. The last thing I needed was Tigerstar seeking me out in my dreams. "Do you think I can? Oh, StarClan, why did I have to follow you in the boat? If you listened to me and returned to the camp, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"The boat obviously got loose when you jumped in," he retorted. "If you were not as heavy as a badger, we wouldn't be in this mess."

I sighed. This was not the time for a fight, and Cloudtail likely thought the same. "We will escape sooner or later," he meowed apologetically. "As I said, Twolegs will notice the empty boat, and will come to drag it to the shore."

"And they will find us, and capture us." I shuddered, remembering how did they round up many of the Clan cats in the old forest home while I was away to the sun-drown place. Although most of them were set free, Greystripe was taken away and we had not heard anything about him since. "Maybe they will even kill us." I decided I would fight to my last breath.

"Mousebrain... why would they do that?" Cloudtail asked, resting his tail-tip on my shoulder to calm me down. "Twolegs are not some savage idiots. Most of them love cats, and they will think we are some poor kittypets in danger. Once we are on solid ground, we will escape from them."

This did not reassure me completely, but it seemed we had no other choice. All we could do was to wait. I wished we could swim – but even a RiverClan warrior could not swim that distance to the shore.

"How do Twolegs control their boats?" I asked. "They don't seem to just drift along, stranded in the middle of the lake."

"They use those to propel themselves," Cloudtail pointed with his tail in the direction of the long wooden sticks with flat blades at their ends in the bottom. "But it is obvious that we cannot make use of them."

The sun was now approaching the treetops, shining through a break in the clouds, and the air started to cool. I jumped back inside, and started batting the yellow ball around to channel my nervousness and make time pass faster. Cloudtail joined me shortly after, and we chased the ball around like kits, making the small boat to rock dangerously. We were so lost in playing that we did not even notice the voices approaching – we realized that we have company only when a large shadow fell over us.

As I glanced up, I saw two Twolegs looking at us, talking and making noises that was probably laughter. They were sitting in another boat, and reached their paws to catch us. I retreated in a corner, hissing, but Cloudtail walked up to them and let himself caught.

"They captured you!" I yowled at him. "Get away from them!"

"They are rescuing us, mousebrain," he replied. "Do you want to stay there and starve to death? Come on."

I reluctantly allowed one of the Twolegs to take me in her big, cold, furless paws, and to put me down next to her, on a piece of wood where she was sitting. There were two Twolegs in that boat – one male, working with those long, wooden sticks to push it forward in the water; the other, a female, taking a rope to tie the other boat to theirs. They were young – not kits, but not adults either. I supposed they were apprentices – if Twolegs had such.

We started gliding slowly towards the shore, in the direction of the Greenleaf Twolegplace. Cloudtail was lying lazily in the Twoleg's lap, purring as she stroked him.

"What are you doing, acting like a kittypet?" I asked incredulously, taking a step back on the wooden seat.

"You should do the same if you wish to survive," he remarked. "They will rescue only sweet, adorable kittypets. If they knew we were Clan cats living in the forest, they would throw us overboard."

The female Twoleg apprentice tentatively reached her paw towards me. I let my fur lie flat, and reluctantly allowed her to stroke the top of my head, then my back and flank. I flinched as her paw brushed across my healing wounds.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot," Cloudtail continued with his advices, a hint of amusement in his blue eyes. "Cuddle against her and purr loudly. Unless you want her to throw you overboard, of course."

"I'd rather die than act like a kittypet!" I grunted. But then I reminded myself that the Clan still needed me, so I couldn't just die yet. I sighed and did what the white warrior suggested. "Oh well. Just promise you will not tell any Clan cat about this."

"I will think about that," the other cat replied, seemingly enjoying himself. Then he jumped over to the male Twoleg apprentice, the one working with the wooden sticks, leaving the other Twoleg to fully dedicate herself to torturing me. She stroked my fur, pulled my ears, took my head between her paws, while making sounds of delight. As if this was not enough, Cloudtail continued with his advices, telling me what embarrassing things should be done if I did not want to end up in the water. "Purr with more delight. Press yourself against her pelt. Give a couple of licks to her paw. Not so rough, be more gentle. Quit lashing your tail. Look into her eyes and meow." I tried to comply, but Cloudtail was not satisfied at all. "You are hopeless. Not even fit to be a kittypet."

I could tell that he was very amused seeing his deputy to be humiliated at this extent. "Just wait until I get my paws on you," I growled.

Finally, we arrived at the halfbridge at the Greenleaf Twolegplace on the border between RiverClan and ShadowClan. Before we could jump out and escape, the Twoleg apprentices caught us firmly in their paws as they stood up and stepped out on the shore. Two adult Twolegs appeared, and tied the boat to the halfbridge with a rope, then joined the other two, talking heatedly about something while glaring at us. I hoped they would tell their apprentices to let us free, but we were not released.

The four of them took us to the monsters that were sleeping on the wide area near the end of the Thunderpath. The Twoleg carrying Cloudtail opened a door on a shiny golden monster to get in, and the white warrior kicked out with his hind legs and set himself free. He jumped to the ground and started running, then looked back to see if I managed to free myself as well.

I squirmed and tried to bite, but I was held firmly and could not escape. The other three Twolegs started running in Cloudtail's direction. "Run away!" I yowled. "I will follow you. Run away, this is an order! You cannot do anything against them!"

The warrior hesitated for some heartbeats, then turned around in the last moment and vanished in the grove at the other side of the Thunderpath. _At least, one of us is safe._ I made another effort to break free, but it was in vain. The Twolegs gave up on Cloudtail, and all four of them climbed in the golden monster. Strange smells reached my nose, and I sneezed.

The doors were closed, and we started moving on the Thunderpath, first slowly, then gaining speed. I stood up on my hind legs to look out the window; my claws were scraping on hard, impenetrable glass. The Twoleg apprentice was stroking me absently. A wave of desperation welled in me. _I will be taken away to StarClan knows where, just like Greystripe...  
_

However, StarClan watched over me. The Twoleg on the front seat pressed something next to him, and the smooth glass of his window silently slid down, letting in the fresh, scented air. Instantly, I tore myself free and jumped out the window before any of them could react.

It nearly cost my life. The distance to the ground was short, but we were going at a high speed, and I fell hard on the Thunderpath, tumbling and skidding about ten foxlengths before coming to a halt. I let out a yowl of pain, feeling as if every bone in my body was broken.

The monster stopped with a screech and the Twolegs jumped out, determined to capture me again. This gave me renewed power. I sprang to my paws, turned around and started dashing in the direction of the lake.

"Over here!" I heard Cloudtail's hiss, and I spotted a white head in the high grass on the RiverClan side. Obviously, he followed the monster when he saw I was captured, and managed to keep up for a while. "Brambleclaw, I was so scared... I thought we lost you for good."

"You won't get rid of me so easily," I replied, brushing my tail along his flank as we started running, leaving the Thunderpath behind. The Twolegs followed us for a while, lumbering along noisily and yowling in despair, but we eventually managed to shake them off. We kept padding for a while, until I collapsed with exhaustion.

"Are you hurt?" my companion asked worriedly. "Did they do something to you?"

"I jumped out the monster at a high speed... I am bruised all over... need to rest a bit." Pain returned tenfold as the chase was over, together with bone-deep weariness – I had not slept for nearly two days.

It was late afternoon; the sky above was grey, heavy clouds covering most of it. "We are somewhere deep in RiverClan territory," I concluded, looking around. "We must get back to the border before a patrol notices us."

"Back where?" Cloudtail looked at me questioningly. "Certainly we cannot go home through ShadowClan's grounds. After the recent battles between us and them, they will tear us apart on the spot if they see us."

"We aren't better off with RiverClan either. You know that some cats wanted to kill me in revenge for Hawkfrost's death, and they will be happy to have a second chance," I remarked. "Still, I guess we have better chances in RiverClan grounds," I added after some pondering. "Let's get to the lake shore, and let's hope that if we meet a patrol, Mistyfoot or Leopardstar will be with them."

We started padding in the direction of the shore – I knew well this part of the territory from both my recent mission, and our exploration after arriving to the lake. Suddenly, the breeze brought the scent of RiverClan cats, and I could make out the sounds of fighting and caterwauling in the distance.

"Seems not everything is right in their Clan," Cloudtail remarked. "At least, we can avoid them easily now."

Then we heard Mothwing's painful yowl, making my hackles rise with uneasiness. "We must check it out," I meowed, and started running towards the noise, beckoning with my tail for the other warrior to follow me.

"What?" he asked, surprised. "It is their business, we have nothing to do with it."

"My _sister_ is in danger, so it is my business too," I hissed. "Come."

Dashing through the high grass, we arrived at a grove to see Mothwing surrounded by Blackclaw, Voletooth and Stonestream who were fighting her, apparently trying to kill her. The golden tabby she-cat fought fiercely – she had been a warrior before becoming a medicine cat – but was no match to all three of them. She was bleeding from several injuries, and eventually fell to the ground. Blackclaw stepped over to give her the final blow.

I sprang forward and crashed into Blackclaw, knocking him over. My attack took them by complete surprise, especially the smoky tom who could barely defend himself as my claws raked over his chest. "You wanted to kill my sister, now I will kill you," I hissed at him. Blackclaw shrieked with pain, kicked out and flung me aside. He tried to claw at my face, but anger gave me such focus and strength that he stood no chance against me. The warrior soon gave up and started running for his life. "You are crowfood, Brambleclaw. Your days are counted," he growled as he vanished among the trees, tail between his legs, a trail of blood marking his path.

Meanwhile, Cloudtail was fighting with the other two RiverClan cats, keeping them away from Mothwing and me, but unable to defeat them both, and barely able to avoid their vicious claws. I rushed to his aid. Voletooth, who was already wounded, turned and fled towards their camp, and Stonestream soon followed the example of his Clan mate. Cloudtail was injured as well, blood oozing from a long gash on his side, but beamed with pride. "No cat stands a chance against ThunderClan," he purred.

I turned to Mothwing. "What was this about? Did they really want to kill you?"

"Yes," she replied, getting up to her paws and starting to clean her wounds with quick licks. "I will tell about it later. We must get out from RiverClan territory before they return."

She started running towards the Greenleaf Twolegplace, and we had no choice but to follow her. I perked my ears and tasted the air, but I heard only the sounds of birds and the wind. No one was chasing us. Soon we arrived to the border. The Twolegs had left, the halfbridge was deserted as well, and only two monsters were sleeping on the wide area.

We stopped near a large bush at the edge of the Thunderpath and lay down to catch our breaths. All three of us were in bad shape, and we took our time to clean our wounds. Mothwing was looking at us worriedly, but she could not do much without her medicine cat supplies. Cloudtail glanced around, but nothing moved on either side of the Thunderpath.

I pressed my muzzle to Mothwing's neck to encourage her. "So? What happened in your Clan?"

"Well, I think you can already guess," she sighed. "Blackclaw and some other cats want their revenge on your Clan, and especially on you, for what happened with Hawkfrost. They demanded Leopardstar to attack ThunderClan, right after hearing that you have trouble with ShadowClan, thinking you would be easy prey. Our leader did not agree, but Blackclaw did not give up. He ordered me to make up some prophecy to convince her that ThunderClan needs to be wiped out. But I refused, and instead told Leopardstar and Mistyfoot what they were planning."

"I guess Leopardstar did not do anything," I grunted.

"Indeed. Those cats are powerful, and she did not want to risk losing them, or having to fight with them." That was so much like Leopardstar. The RiverClan leader was aggressive and arrogant when in control, but was also a coward, ready to give up her Clan when menaced. I remembered well the stories the elders told me – Leopardstar gave up her Clan to Tigerstar just like that, and was just standing about as her warriors and apprentices were about to be killed. "And Mistyfoot could not do much by herself."

"What happened then?" I asked.

"Blackclaw apparently overheard me talking with Mistyfoot, and decided to take revenge. Stonestream called me to a remote part of the territory, saying that a cat was injured, and needed help. Once there, Blackclaw and Voletooth appeared too, and they tried to kill me," Mothwing explained. "That was when you arrived. Thank you." She pressed her body to mine, shivering with terror as she remembered what did just happen.

"Don't worry, I am here to protect you." I started licking the top of her head in encouragement, and she buried her muzzle in my neck fur, her body relaxing. She was so different from Squirrelflight – the ginger warrior was about to claw my ears off whenever I suggested that I would protect her. "You can stay with ThunderClan until things are sorted out," I offered, and Cloudtail murmured agreement.

"Will it be all right with your leader?" she asked hopefully. "Your warriors?"

"Of course," Cloudtail reassured her, and I hoped he would be right. "No one will object, especially after what happened to you. It would be not the first time when ThunderClan helps cats of other Clans."

"What about the other cats of RiverClan?" I asked. "Willowpaw? Mistyfoot?"

"No one would harm Willowpaw, and the Clan needs a medicine cat anyway," Mothwing replied. "But Mistyfoot... she always opposed Blackclaw's ambitions, so she was never popular with that bunch. I'm afraid she might be in danger."

Suddenly, I smelled RiverClan cats – four or five of them – and soon after that, we heard Blackclaw's yowl in the distance. It made all three of us jump. "They are on our trail! Run!" We started dashing through the wide open area of the Greenleaf Twolegplace.

"Stop!" I hissed as we arrived to the other side, and we came to a halt. "We cannot go through ShadowClan territory! We are at war with them, and they will not hesitate to kill us, even if we keep to the shore." Exhausted, starving and injured, we were no match for any enemy patrol.

"Got any better idea?" Mothwing panted. "We cannot go through RiverClan either; they are on our scent trail, looking for a bloody revenge."

"Mothwing is right. ShadowClan is not searching for us, like RiverClan does, so we will be able to avoid them," Cloudtail added, trying to sound confident.

"All right," I agreed finally. We had no other option – unless we wanted to swim across the lake, of course. Still, it would be a very hard task to cross the entire ShadowClan territory – or RiverClan, for that matter – with no cat noticing us.

Passing the border, we entered the shadowy pine forest. The scent markers were fairly fresh, but no cats were nearby. We rolled in the ferns, trying to mask our scents to make it harder for the enemy patrols to find us, then started out towards the heart of the forest. The shore was to be avoided – they would have spotted us easily; furthermore, their camp was quite close to the lake.

The pine forest grew thicker and thicker. I took the lead, as I had been in ShadowClan territory before – when we explored it for the first time after arriving at our new home – but in the evening darkness, the woods were menacing and unfamiliar. We padded forward, stopping from time to time to taste the air and listen if something was moving, but all I could feel was the stale scent of cats who passed by some days ago, probably on a hunting patrol.

It was now twilight. We pressed on in what I thought was a parallel path with the shore, but even after wandering for a long time, I could not recognize any landmark I remembered. I did not know where we were, where the lake or the camp was, or if we were going in a straight line or in circles.

Finally, I had to admit that we were hopelessly lost. Lost, deep in unknown, enemy territory, in the darkest night, wounded, starving, exhausted. I stopped.

"Any idea where we are?" Cloudtail asked, but from his tone, I could guess he already knew the answer.

"No," I replied dispiritedly. "I don't know where we are, where the lake is, or which direction should we take."

"We must keep going," Mothwing reminded us, brushing her pelt to mine as she padded forward to take the lead. "Eventually, we will reach either a border or the lake."

I put one paw before the other mechanically, expecting to collapse from exhaustion at every pawstep. My wounds throbbed as if a fire was burning under my skin.

"Fox!" Cloudtail hissed, and we froze, sniffing the air. "The scent is stale though."

Even if stale, it was strong. "There must be a recently abandoned den somewhere close by," I concluded. "Nothing we should fear."

The others murmured agreement and we pressed on. The ground sloped gently, but I still had no idea where we were. The evening was cold and damp, and a bird was calling mournfully in the distance. Some small animal scuttled in the ferns, and I wanted to jump forward to catch it, but then I reminded myself that this was the prey of another Clan.

Suddenly, Mothwing raised her tail, signalling for us to stop. "Cats!" The scent of three, maybe four ShadowClan cats reached us – an evening patrol, most likely – and we could make out faint talking between the trees. They were coming in our direction, and it was a matter of heartbeat before they could smell or spot us.

I turned around. "Quick! Back to that abandoned fox den! It will mask our scent." We pelted towards the den as silently as we could. Once there, I pressed through the tendrils masking the entrance and slipped into the den, the other two cats following me. It was pitch dark and the rank scent made us sick. I felt around with my whiskers and tail; the lair was barely enough large for all three of us. I stepped on something slimy, and tried not to think about what it was.

We lay down in the most remote corner to avoid being noticed from the outside, our bodies pressing together, listening intently to the faint noises. The ShadowClan patrol came closer; we could hear the rustling as feline bodies pressed through the undergrowth.

"What is this? I think I can smell ThunderClan. And RiverClan. The scent is faint, but fresh." It was Cedarheart's voice. I swallowed hard, and Mothwing's body grew tense next to me.

"Mousebrain," Russetfur snapped. "I cannot smell anything. And why would ThunderClan be here, at this time? Those cowards are hiding in their camp, expecting us to come and crush them. Which we will do soon."

I thanked StarClan that Russetfur was an idiot – or a bad tracker at least – but a third cat spoke. "I also smell something. Some cats passed here – and not ShadowClan." They were now very close to our hiding place.

"Oh whatever, maybe it's those kittypets from the Twoleg nest," Russetfur replied. "Although I was convinced we taught them a lesson they would never forget." I remembered what Tawnypelt told about Blackstar killing their kits. "Nothing is here, except that fox den we took care of the other day."

"Something might be hiding in there." Cedarheart's voice came from near the entrance. We were paralyzed with fear, expecting them to barge in and finish us off.

"Come on already, I want to get through this patrol, and we still have a large area to cover," Russetfur grunted bad-temperedly from farther away. "We might check it on our way back, if you insist that much." Soon, the rustling and talking faded in the distance.

"We must get out of here before they return," Cloudtail whispered, getting up to his paws, then falling back as he hit his head in the ceiling of the den.

"Wait," I hissed. We had to know if everything was safe before leaving our shelter. "I am not sure that all of them left. Maybe some cat got suspicious and stands guard near the entrance."

I crept forward slowly until I could see the entrance. Nothing moved outside, and I continued stalking towards the dim light to peek out.

A twig snapped nearby, making me petrified with fear. _Was one or more of the enemy warriors nearby? Are they lying in wait for us? Or... is it the fox returning to its den?_ I could not make out any scents – the stale reek obscured everything else. _An entire patrol or a fox pack could be near the entrance, ready to tear me apart._

There was another faint noise. I stood rooted to the spot for long moments, but whatever creature was outside, it did not show itself. My heart was pounding so hard that it was difficult to breath. _I am a ThunderClan deputy, not some cowardly rabbit_, I reminded myself, and mustered up enough courage to push through the curtain of tendrils. Stepping out in the night forest, my eyes darted from one side to another, but no living being was in sight.

"It is safe," I whispered, and the two other cats followed me in the open. Night has fallen; heavy clouds obscured the sky and there was a gloomy darkness our eyes could barely penetrate.

"What now?" Cloudtail asked. He looked at me expectantly, but I still had no idea where we were, and which way should we take to escape this nightmare. I shrugged, and we started padding in a direction with faltering steps.

A flash of movement caught the corner of my eye, and when I glanced sideways, I saw the dark shape of a large cat, glaring at me with sparkling green eyes. My heart skipped a beat, thinking that the enemy has found us, but then I had a flash of recognition. _The spirit cat who saved me twice before!_

He beckoned with his tail, and I started following him with new hope, my two companions padding after me. They were surprised at my renewed energy; obviously they did not see anything. The spirit cat dashed through the undergrowth, taking hidden paths I never thought to follow – there was no noise, and the ferns did not even move as he pressed through. Soon, we arrived at a narrow Twoleg path.

"Wow! This is the path leading to that Twoleg nest, with those hostile kittypets!" Cloudtail observed. "I know the way from there! We are saved!" Indeed, I knew too where we were. I had visited this place twice – once while exploring the lake for the first time, and later helping ShadowClan to teach those aggressive kittypets a lesson. Cloudtail had been there as well. But this not meant we were saved – not yet. We were still a long way from ThunderClan grounds, we were injured, and at the end of our powers.

I glanced around, but the green-eyed cat vanished. We started following the path to find the Twoleg nest – from there, we would find the way home.

"Hostile kittypets? Would they attack us?" Mothwing asked. "Not that I'm afraid of them," she added quickly. "But we are hardly a match for well-rested and well-fed cats right now."

"Don't worry," Cloudtail meowed. "I suppose they are sleeping inside the nest. They won't even notice us."

Soon, we arrived at the small clearing where the Twoleg nest was. No light was shining from the inside – it loomed ahead as a large sleeping beast, dark and foreboding like the shadowy forest. A rough stone wall surrounded it. We padded closer.

"All right," I whispered. "From there, we must take..."

"ShadowClan!" Cloudtail's warning sent a wave of chill through me. Scents of cats and the sound of rustling reached my senses – they were heading for us, and could emerge at any moment from the forest. We were standing exposed near the stone wall, with nowhere to run.

"Inside!" Mothwing hissed, jumping up the wall and disappearing on the other side, with Cloudtail following her. My throat clenched – what if the kittypets were out in the garden after all, looking for easy prey? Nevertheless, we had no other choice – two kittypets were still easier to deal with than a bloodthirsty ShadowClan patrol.

I jumped the wall, and landed next to my companions. "Let's find some hiding place," I suggested, and we padded closer to the nest, crawling under a large bush. Outside, the ShadowClan cats were just crossing the clearing. It was not Russetfur's patrol, but another one – they seemingly patrolled their territory quite actively, and it was a miracle we did not meet any cats while we were sauntering along, lost in the forest.

The noise soon faded in the distance, and I let out a breath of relief. They did not notice us. "Let's go on," I suggested, and we emerged from our hiding place, making our way towards the stone wall.

I glanced around, and froze in mid-step when I heard a hostile hiss. Two pairs of blazing eyes were fixing us from a short distance. _The kittypets!_

I stepped in front of Mothwing to protect her with my body, and braced myself for the attack.

* * *

_Leafpool padded after Barkface and Littlecloud, following the stream that formed the border between ThunderClan and WindClan and led up to the distant hills. __Even if the dark sky was covered by thick clouds, all medicine cats knew that this was the night of the half-moon, when they had to visit the Moonpool to seek guidance from the ancestors.__ An icy wind blew in the open moorland, making the ThunderClan cat to shiver. Her paws were tingling with excitement; she hoped to get answers to the questions whirling around in her head._

_Many things had happened that day – the most alarming event was the disappearance of two of the Clan's best warriors. Brambleclaw and Cloudtail had gone to explore what were some Twolegs doing by the lake, and no cat had seen them again. Their scent trail and paw prints simply vanished at the lakeshore; there were no other scents and no trace of fighting, so most cats feared that the warriors had fallen into the lake and drowned._

_The whole Clan mourned. Squirrelflight was the most devastated; stricken with grief, she had spent the whole afternoon near the shore, sniffing around to find some clue, then lying down to stare with tear-filled eyes at the grey clouds reflected in the lake until Firestar found her and dragged her back to the camp. The leader believed the two cats somehow escaped, and turned down the idea of a vigil, but few others shared his hopes._

Were they still alive?_ Leafpool knew this question would be answered soon. If Brambleclaw showed up in the ranks of StarClan, it would mean that they were indeed dead._

_There were also other unnerving things – Mothwing was still nowhere to be seen. The RiverClan medicine cat was sometimes late, busy with her work and not taking her duty to StarClan as seriously as the others were; but that did not stop Leafpool worrying._

_She looked back nervously, and finally spotted a small feline shape, running along the river to catch up with them. It was Willowpaw, Mothwing's apprentice, and the three other cats welcomed her warmly._

"_Where is Mothwing?" Barkface asked curiously after greeting her. It was unusual for a medicine cat to send an apprentice to the Moonpool at half-moon instead of coming. "Did something happen?"_

"_She disappeared... she was probably killed," Willowpaw answered, sorrow clouding her dark blue eyes. "She was called away to take care of an injured cat, and never came back. Three warriors returned later to the camp, battle wounds all over them, telling they had been ambushed by rogues. I treated their wounds, and discovered golden tabby fur under Blackclaw's claws."_

_A chilly wave of panic and desperation welled up and wrapped around Leafpool, her heart sinking like a stone. First Brambleclaw and Cloudtail, and now her best friend, Mothwing._

_The other cats were staring at the apprentice, speechless. "Did you tell this to Leopardstar?" Barkface asked finally._

"_No," Willowpaw admitted. "I feared that Blackclaw would kill me too, and anyway, I could not be sure if Mothwing was indeed dead. However, I asked Leopardstar to send a patrol to look for Mothwing, but Blackclaw dissuaded her, telling that we needed our warriors in the camp in case the rogues wanted to attack us. There was an argument between Mistyfoot, Leopardstar and the warriors. I don't know what happened next; I had to set out for the Moonpool to get here in time."_

_Leafpool stood staring in the distance, lost in dark thoughts, her fur ruffled by the cold wind. _How could so many things go so wrong in such a short time?_ After Hawkfrost's death, she thought there would be no more problems and hostilities between the Clans. Instead, there were deaths, murders, battles, power struggles... and on top of all these, the Dark Forest waking up._

_She felt Littlecloud's tail-tip touching her shoulder. "We must go on, it is getting late. StarClan will give us the answers we seek."_

_They arrived at the cliffs that hid the Moonpool, and pressing through the bushes, they started their descent towards the calm surface of water. Once there, the four cats crouched to lap up the icy liquid, and the dreams came instantly._

_Leafpool found herself in a valley, in a landscape with rolling hills. At first, she thought it was WindClan ground, but the clear sky, the soft blue hues and the unnatural silence revealed that this was somewhere in the spirit realm. A sweet scent lingered in the air, and looking around, she saw Spottedleaf sitting next to her._

"_I have something to ask you," the starry spirit spoke to the young medicine cat. "Tell your leader that this is not the time to start wars between Clans. It is time to stand together. The Place of No Stars becomes stronger, and all four Clans are in danger – even StarClan is."_

"_Danger?" The dark wave of desperation returned, choking the medicine cat. If even StarClan was in danger, everything was lost. "Is there no cat to help us?"_

"_There is a prophecy," Spottedleaf replied. They started walking up the hillside, the high grass brushing their pelts. "ThunderClan's protector will undertake a long and dangerous quest to restore Penumbra, and three cats will help him in the task, each from a different realm."_

So there was a hope_, Leafpool thought. _But who was ThunderClan's protector?_ Then she remembered her vision about the bramble claws protecting the Clan. _It is Brambleclaw! So he is alive after all, and will take on some quest to save them._ The rest of the prophecy did not make much sense; she had no idea what the Penumbra was, and who were the cats from the different realms._

"_Will he succeed?" she asked, but got no reply. She looked sideways, but Spottedleaf was nowhere. Leafpool was alone in the silent landscape._

_She now reached the top of the hill and an unnatural sight greeted her on the other side – a wide dark crevice running through the next valley, as far as her eyes could see. Even the sky above was warped, missing stars replaced by a streak of swirling blue shadows. _Where was this?_ She padded closer._

_There was a distant rumble, and the ground started to tremble beneath her paws. The medicine cat turned to run, but a crack opened right in front of her, causing her to slip and fall down in the darkness._

_She opened her eyes with a start, finding herself back at the Moonpool. The three other cats were awake as well, seemingly relieved that their dream was over._

"_A most interesting vision," Littlecloud remarked, and related it in a few words. It turned out that all four of them had a similar dream – a crevice in a valley, and a devastating earthquake._

"_It looked like a barrier in the skies," Barkface remarked. "Probably supposed to seal away some part of the spirit realm from interacting with the living world. And it was breaking... or expanding... or shifting."_

"_Seal away what?" Leafpool wondered. Not the Dark Forest for sure – the landscapes did not match. Something even more dangerous? Or something that would help them? It must have been important – all four medicine cats had the same vision. Leafpool hoped that whatever the answer was, it would come before it was too late._


	9. Chapter 7: The Way Home

**Chapter 7  
**_The Way Home_

"We will kill all three of you," the tom hissed, taking a menacing step forward, ready to jump on us.

"No," the other kittypet – a she-cat – pleaded. "Remember what those savages did to us the last time. They will get their revenge, even if we defeat these three."

My anxiety gradually vanished as I realized that the kittypets were actually afraid of us. Our route home was clear now. "Just stay away from us, and we will let you live," I growled at them, fluffing out my pelt. The tom retreated nervously, eyes downcast.

Mothwing stepped forward, brushing past me. "We are not enemies," she meowed. "We are just passing through this territory, trying to escape from ShadowClan... and need to rest a bit. We are at the end of our powers."

I groaned inwardly. It was a mousebrained thing to admit to these hostile cats that we were weak – seeing that, they might decide after all to attack and kill us. Mothwing had been a loner and never quite understood that not all cats and Clans were friendly and good-natured. However, the attack did not come.

"Well, you don't smell like those savage cats living around here," the tom grunted. He must have meant ShadowClan. "And you say you are trying to escape from them, so I take you are not their friends. In that case, we can give you shelter... and maybe you can help us later. Come."

Even if he recognized me and Cloudtail – we were here when the Clan cats taught them a lesson, around two moons ago – he did not mention anything. Obviously, they needed allies in resisting ShadowClan. Their friendliness was a pleasant surprise, but I did not let my guard down – they killed Talonpaw, and would have likely killed any other cat if they had thought they could get away with it.

"My name is Jacques," he introduced himself, "and she is Susan." We told our names as well. "We usually sleep in that shed," he continued, and we followed him to a wooden nest in the back of the silent garden, somewhat similar to a barn, but much smaller.

As I stepped through the open door into the yawning darkness, I heard rustling in a corner, and in the next moment, a small cat landed on my back, teeth and claws sinking in my fur. _We walked into a trap!_ I shook him off with an effort and spun around to face my attacker. To my surprise, I saw a kit barely two moons old; pelt fluffed out, piercing amber eyes glowing with anger and determination. He jumped at me again, but Jacques stepped forward and grabbed him by the scruff, pulling him away from me. "They are friends, Blaze. Do not worry."

Susan's eyes clouded with sorrow. "Only Blaze survived... I had four healthy kits, and those savage cats from around here killed three of them." She groomed his son with gentle licks; his fur was still bristling, eyeing us warily.

"That is terrible!" Mothwing gasped. "What happened?"

It was Jacques who explained. "It happened just a couple of days ago. The Nofurs left the gate open and the kits ventured out in the forest, and by the time we noticed, they were already gone. We followed their scent trail and found them surrounded by those savage forest cats. A large white cat with black paws started killing them off one by one, and the other cats attacked us when we tried to save them, so we could not do anything."

I suddenly remembered what Tawnypelt told about Blackstar killing some kits. _How could the ShadowClan leader be so cruel?_ The warrior code clearly forbade this; nevertheless, ShadowClan warriors apparently did not consider kittypets as cats. Anger burned in me, and my claws were tearing the ground.

"Apparently it was in revenge," Jacques continued. "The Nofurs injured two of those savages once when they tried to steal food from the garden, so they decided to take it out on us."

"Blaze is the only one who escaped," Susan meowed. Her son pressed himself against her. "He clawed at the white cat's eyes, injuring him, and managed to break free. We ran back here, and did not see them since."

Cloudtail stepped forward and gave Susan a few comforting licks, softly meowing soothing words in her ears. The tabby relaxed a bit and pressed herself against his flank. Cloudtail had always had a way with she-cats.

"And I will soon lose Blaze as well," Susan sighed. "The Nofurs will likely take him away from me. Other Nofurs come each day since... since the others died... to look at him." That was not a surprise; Twolegs usually gave away the offspring of their kittypets. "It will be terrible to lose my last kit and I will always miss him... but I guess it will be for the better. He will be safe, he won't be hunted every day by those savages."

"I will not go anywhere," Blaze confronted his mother. "I will stay here and become a great fighter, then will take my revenge on those brutes for killing my siblings."

"You cannot do much against them on your own," I remarked silently. "Even my Clan has constant trouble with them... despite having more warriors."

The kit's eyes kindled with hope. "You mean there are other cats in the forest, and they are enemies of those savages? Then I will join them!" He bounded up to me with tail upright and quivering. "Can I?"

The request took me by surprise. I was about to say no – we could not just take away some cat's offspring and take him to the camp; especially that ThunderClan had already too many kittypets. What would the Clan say? What would his parents say? But another voice in the back of my mind reminded me that we needed good warriors, and a cat that stood up to Blackstar at the age of two moons would likely turn out the fiercest fighter in all Clans.

Susan was taken aback too, of course. "To join some savage cats living in the wilderness without food and shelter? Who in his right mind would want that?"

"It's not like that, actually," Cloudtail protested, then began describing how a Clan lived and what did they do, presenting life in the forest as if that was the best thing that could happen to any cat. Eventually, Susan and Jacques loosened up a bit.

"Well, if that is so, I suppose it is all right," the tabby she-cat mused. "At least my son will be in good paws, and will not live in fear... and he will be around instead of being taken away who knows where."

Blaze beamed with joy. He bounded over to his mother to nuzzle her, then turned around and pounced on me. "When are we leaving?"

"Not earlier than tomorrow," I replied, trying to resist his enthusiastic attacks. "We need to rest a bit... or maybe more than a bit. We went through a lot today."

Mothwing returned from the garden carrying a bunch of large leaves in her mouth. "I found some chervil – it is good for injuries. Not the best, but good." She chewed them in a pulp and applied it to our wounds.

The kittypets showed us to a dark corner of the shed where they had made nests of soft, smooth pelts, those used by Twolegs to sleep under. I heard the rumble of distant thunder and of trees rustling in the stiffening wind. Curling up on the soft nest, I wondered if I should sleep or stand guard – I still did not trust the kittypets; they killed Talonpaw after all – but could not keep my eyes open and sank in a deep, restful sleep.

* * *

I woke up to a tiny paw prodding my flank. "When are we leaving?"

Opening my eyes, I saw grey light coming from the door of the shed, and heard the soft drumming of the rain from outside. Although the sun was not visible, I suspected it was close to sunhigh.

"Right, Blaze, it is time we left," I replied, getting up to my paws. "Where are the others?"

At that moment, Cloudtail and Susan entered the shed. "Hi Brambleclaw," the white warrior greeted me. "We thought you would sleep forever. There is some food for us... Susan and Jacques offered us their dinner. Come and have a bite."

My hackles rose at the thought of eating kittypet food, but Cloudtail obviously guessed my thoughts, and before I could reply, he added in a lower voice. "It's not that bad, actually, and I guess you don't want to starve to death, or take ShadowClan prey. Don't worry, I won't tell it to the Clan."

We padded out in the garden, with Blaze following us. In full daylight, I could see that the kit had fluffy light brown fur with tabby markings, just like his mother Susan; paws white as snow, and blazing amber eyes.

At the other side of the Twoleg nest, there were two bowls full of food – surprisingly, not those brown, oily pellets kittypets usually eat, but raw pieces of some strange animal's flesh. After glancing around to see if there were any Twolegs nearby, I carefully padded up to the bowls and helped myself, followed by Cloudtail. Mothwing appeared soon to join us.

"Then it's time we left," I concluded after finishing the meal. "Thanks for helping us," I turned to Jacques and Susan. "We are indebted to you."

We padded to the stone wall surrounding the garden, listening intently to the noises of the forest, but there were no ShadowClan cats nearby. Susan was grooming Blaze for the last time, whispering in his ear – maybe giving him advice for the journey, for Clan life, for both.

"Will you be all right?" Jacques asked. "Can you get home with all those savage cats around?"

"Of course," Cloudtail meowed confidently. "We can avoid them easily. They do not expect us to be here, and the rain will mask our scent. Don't worry, we will take good care of your kit."

"Actually, Blaze is not _my_ kit," Jacques replied. "I am not Susan's mate; I am her brother." I did not know that. "Her mate was one of those cats from the wilderness."

"ShadowClan?" I asked incredulously. "Those cats from around here?"

It was Susan who replied. "No... it was a cat who lived far away from here, and not from the forest." Maybe he was a loner or a kittypet, I thought.

"I met him about four moons ago, near the road by the lake." That was about the time when we arrived here to make this place our home. "He attacked me, saying I was trespassing; but after he saw I was no part of these Clans, he did not harm me. We met several times after that, and... he was the father of my kits. He was strong, handsome and very ambitious, but was always troubled by something... a difficult mission he was about to undertake in order to be some kind of leader for these cats."

My throat went dry. I started to suspect who that cat was.

"As the cats from around here – ShadowClan, as you call them – grew more and more hostile, I could not get away any more to meet him. He doesn't even know he has kits," Susan continued, staring at me as if I were familiar to her. "Actually, he looked just like you... except that he had blue eyes and a white underbelly."

My breath caught in my chest, and Mothwing let out a gasp. _Blaze was my nephew_.

* * *

In the dim daylight, the silent pine forest was not that menacing as in the night – it rather appeared desolate, as if no creature had walked its paths for a very long time. Nevertheless, we did not let our guard down, and stopped from time to time to taste the air and listen to the faint noises.

Even if the sun was nowhere to be seen, veiled by a thick grey blanket of clouds, I could tell it was past sunhigh. Cloudtail was leading us confidently, pressing through damp ferns and thickets, avoiding the beaten tracks. The rain abated to a light, steady drizzle, rattling against the canopies above, but even if the trees protected us to an extent, we were wet from head to tail-tip, cold water dripping from my fur and whiskers. Although it masked our smell to an extent, it also prevented us from picking up other cats' scents, making it hard to detect if there were any ShadowClan patrols nearby.

Blaze padded next to me. I could tell that he was weary from the long walk, even if we carried him by his scruff for more than half of the trip. "We will be in ThunderClan territory soon," I encouraged him, glancing sideways. "Then, we can rest a bit before we go on."

I was still incredulous – I never expected my brother to take a kittypet as a mate; he who was so loyal to the Clan and the warrior code. He never told me about it. But it seemed that love could conquer all, and anyway, Hawkfrost's fierce and arrogant nature matched well with Susan's.

"So, are we just running away?" the kit exclaimed. "You warriors are here, so we should find and beat up some of those savage cats before we leave their forest."

"Our task now is to get back to the camp and report to the leader," I explained patiently. "Of course, we will stand and fight if a patrol of theirs attacks us, but we won't go looking for trouble. Our leader will decide what to do next."

"All right... if you say so," Blaze muttered, brushing his tail against my flank. There was faith and trust in his eyes, and I silently vowed that I would do everything to make him a good and loyal warrior, no matter what the Clan would say, or who his parents were. As I managed to shed my father's legacy and influence, he would be able to do that as well.

_A father's influence_. A dark thought made me feel as if I was flung in icy water. _Just as Tigerstar walks in my dreams, what if Hawkfrost can walk in Blaze's, influencing him, making the kit to come over to his side and do his bidding?_ I shivered. Even if Susan told that Hawkfrost did not know about his offspring, he was now in the Dark Forest, from where he could possibly supervise the waking world. The kit could be turned into a weapon of revenge, menacing the Clans.

_I will not allow it,_ I vowed.

The sound of rushing water in the distance distracted me from my thoughts. Between the thick trunks, we could spot the stream that made up the border – we were finally home. I stopped to listen and to draw air over my scent glands before I stepped out from the cover of the trees into the exposed space.

We pelted down the sloping ground to the edge of the water. Although it used to be possible to wade through, we could not do that now as the stream was swollen from the rainfall, several foxlengths of murky, fast-flowing water separating us from the other side. Moreover, it was too broad to jump across safely; the slippery ground making it even more dangerous to try.

"We must find some stepping stones, or get to the Twoleg bridge near the Greenleaf Twolegplace." I scanned the surroundings with growing nervousness, expecting a ShadowClan border patrol to appear and ambush us at any moment. We made it this far, crossed the entire enemy territory unharmed; only to be stuck a few tail-lengths from home.

I started padding upstream, with the other three cats following me silently, sharing my anxiety. The ground gently sloped upwards, and after not long, the stream narrowed slightly, though it was deeper.

"We can try jumping across here," Mothwing suggested. "What do you say, Brambleclaw?"

The oak trees swayed invitingly at the other side, and I longed to finally get there. Normally, we could have done it without greater effort, but the muddy ground and our aching injuries made me cautious. "We'd better get to the Twoleg bridge, we are quite close now," I answered finally.

"Some cats crossed the stream here recently," Cloudtail remarked, sniffing around, and I could clearly make out some pawprints in the mud. "The trail ends at the water – it seems a ShadowClan party crossed into our territory not long ago."

I was barely able to distinguish the smells on the soggy ground, but Cloudtail was the best tracker in ThunderClan, and I trusted his keen senses. "All right, in that case, we will cross here, and follow their trail," I decided. _What were they up to now?_ Did they just want to change the border again, or planned to attack our Clan?

Mothwing did not need much encouragement – she took a running leap and landed gracefully on the opposite bank. She looked back and waved her tail at us as if saying "Come on, it's really easy."

"You will carry Blaze, right?" Cloudtail asked. "This wound hinders me... you seem to be in better shape." There was a long scratch on his side he got when we fought those RiverClan cats.

"Of course," I replied, brushing the white cat's shoulder with my tail-tip as I padded to the bank. I lifted the kit gently by his scruff, then started running and took off from the bank. After soaring in the air for a couple of heartbeats that seemed like forever, my front paws hit the ground. However, because of the extra weight, the leap turned out a bit too short, and my hind legs scrabbled helplessly at the steep edge of the stream. I let the kit free and continued struggling to climb out to the bank, but I could not get a hold on the muddy ground and started to slide back slowly into the churning water.

Just as I thought the currents would take me away, I felt teeth sinking into my scruff, and Mothwing pulled me out to solid ground. "Thanks," I meowed as I tried to stop my legs from trembling, giving her a lick across the ears. I could tell that she had been at least as frightened as me.

Cloudtail came last, clearing the stream with a long leap to land safely next to us. I gave a sigh of relief – finally our adventure was over, and we were back in ThunderClan territory.

"Should we rest a bit?" I asked my companions, but they shook their heads. Even Blaze was ready to go on, although I could tell how tired he was, unaccustomed to such long journeys. "All right, let's follow the trail of those ShadowClan cats."

We saw four sets of pawprints and picked up the scent not far from the bank, and started following it, entering the dense forest of oaks. The large trees sheltered us from the rain and wind, but my wet fur was still clinging uncomfortably to my body.

"The trail is fresh, but very faint... it seems they took great pain to mask their scent," Cloudtail remarked, stopping from time to time to sniff at the ground. "I don't like this."

About halfway to the camp, we could make out the sound of cats yowling in the distance. With ears pricked forward, we started running in the direction of the noise, and soon enough, we arrived to a small clearing. Peering out from behind a tree trunk, an upsetting scene unfolded before our eyes, making us realize that the Clan was in danger.

Sandstorm was lying unconscious on the ground, blood oozing from a gash on her neck, and the shape of Blackstar was looming above her, ready to give the final blow. Firestar and Brackenfur were standing at a distance, eyes wide with terror, but unable to help, as three other ShadowClan cats stood between them and their leader – and anyway, a wrong move would have likely cost the life of Sandstorm.

"So, Firestar, what is your choice?" Blackstar's voice rang in the silence. "Either you cease a third of your territory to ShadowClan – or your mate dies a gruesome death."

"No..." Firestar meowed, his voice breaking. "Do not hurt her." I never saw my leader this desperate and defenceless.

"So I take you agree to cease your territory, then?" Blackstar sneered. "Just what I expect from a soft kittypet. The better for me, I guess."

We stared at the scene, petrified for some moments, but then I knew we had to do something. The ShadowClan warriors were with their backs toward us, so we could try surprising them. "I will attack Blackstar from behind," I whispered to my companions. "Cloudtail, you will protect Sandstorm while I fight Blackstar, and help Firestar and Brackenfur to defeat the three remaining cats. Mothwing, you stay here with Blaze; we will need your help as a medicine cat once this is over."

Without expecting a reply, I pushed past the oak tree and started stalking silently forward, with Cloudtail behind me. Firestar saw us and a glimmer of hope flashed through his eyes, but he quickly averted his gaze, lest it betray us, and continued begging for his mate's life as Blackstar came up with more and more demands.

By that time, I was only about two foxlengths from the ShadowClan leader. Flexing my muscles, I jumped on his back, knocking him to the ground, trying to keep him at a safe distance from Sandstorm. The expression of utter surprise on his face quickly turned to burning anger, and he threw me aside with a powerful kick of his hind legs.

The small clearing suddenly came alive, with all warriors joining the battle. Russetfur, another of the ShadowClan cats, came to her leader's aid, hurling herself at me. I scored my claws down her muzzle and she retreated a couple of steps, screeching with pain, but Blackstar took her place, sending me to the ground with a massive blow. He jumped on me and slashed his claws across my chest, tearing at the healing wound that I got in the battle with Hawkfrost.

Agony exploded in my head and my body went limp; all I could do was trying to protect my exposed throat with my paws – but the final blow never came. Through blurry vision, I saw the small shape of a cat pouncing on the leader's back, clawing at his eyes from behind. Blackstar let out a painful yowl and started rolling on his back until he finally flung his attacker aside. _It was Blaze!_ Blackstar whipped around to face the kit, but by then, Mothwing and Cloudtail came to our help, sending the leader running for his life.

My eyes darted around the clearing – blood, torn fur and injured ThunderClan warriors everywhere. Nevertheless, we were victorious; the other ShadowClan cats were on the run as well, murmuring threats and promises of revenge as they disappeared among the trees in the direction of the border.

Mothwing rushed to my side. "Brambleclaw, are you alive? Here, let me help you."

"I will manage," I replied. "You should assist Sandstorm first. If any of us needs the help of a medicine cat, it is her."

She did not argue, but walked over to the fallen warrior, who was already surrounded by the other cats. Examining Sandstorm's wound, she tried to stop the bleeding with a paw, while Brackenfur and Cloudtail dashed away to search for cobwebs, large leaves and any herbs they could find close by.

"Will she live?" Firestar asked with anxiety and despair in his voice. "Oh, Sandstorm, please don't leave me."

"I'm doing everything I can," Mothwing replied, accepting a pawful of cobwebs from Brackenfur and applying it to the gash. "She will likely live."

I felt the soft fur of a cat brushing against me, and turning my head, I saw the concern-filled amber eyes of Blaze. "You are injured... will you survive?"

"Of course, it is nothing a warrior cannot survive," I reassured him, trying to clean the wounds with thorough licks. "Thanks for the help back there, Blaze."

He stared at the spot where Blackstar vanished among the trees. "That was the cat who slew my siblings. I will make him pay one day."

"You can count on my help with that," I grunted. "Even if we cannot kill him, I would like to rip a few lives out of him."

"What do you mean?" Blaze asked, his question reminding me that he did not know much about Clan ways and tradition yet.

"He is the leader of ShadowClan... and leaders are granted nine lives by the ancestor spirits," I explained. "They can survive accidents and injuries that would normally claim their lives. They don't live longer than other cats, though."

From his curious gaze, I could guess that he had more questions, but Firestar left Sandstorm's side to come over to me. "Brambleclaw, you are alive!" he exclaimed. "The Clan thought you and Cloudtail drowned in the lake... although I was sure you would return. What happened, where were you?" I sketched our adventures in a few words.

"It was StarClan's wish that you brought Mothwing along," Firestar remarked after I finished my story. "Sandstorm would have died without the immediate help of a medicine cat."

Hearing her name, my sister padded over to us. "I tended to her as well as I could," she meowed. "She will need a lot of rest, and we must take her back to the camp." Then she started to tend to my wounds, placing a bundle of cobwebs on them.

"What happened here, anyway?" I asked my leader. "How did they attack you?"

"Those crowfood eaters thought that if they couldn't take our territory by force, they would do it through blackmail," Firestar grunted. "We were on a hunting patrol; Sandstorm separated from us to chase down a squirrel, and they ambushed her. We heard the sounds of fighting, but by the time we arrived, she was already defeated, and Blackstar told he would kill her if we did not cease a part of our territory, or if we tried to fight him. That was when you arrived." He dipped his head. "Thanks, all of you."

I got up to my paws, wincing with pain; it was time to leave this place behind. Firestar, Mothwing and Brackenfur gently took Sandstorm on their backs to carry her back to the camp, while Cloudtail, Blaze and me followed them at a short distance.

Soon, we arrived at the stone hollow and pressed through the thorn tunnel. Some warriors emerged from their den; there was surprise, relief and horror in the eyes that were fixed on us. "What happened? Who attacked you? Cloudtail, Brambleclaw, you are back!"

Firestar and Mothwing carried Sandstorm to the medicine cat's den, while the other warriors surrounded me and Cloudtail, throwing questions at us. Before I could reply to any, I saw a flash of dark ginger fur, and in the next moment, Squirrelflight crashed into me, almost knocking me off my paws.

"Oh Brambleclaw," she meowed, her forest green eyes shining with tears of relief. "We feared you had perished... I was so desperate..." She pressed her body to mine, and I rested my chin on the top of her head, soothing her.

"True," Thornclaw remarked. "I never saw a cat more desperate in my life."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Squirrelflight snorted. "Of course I am worried about a fellow Clanmate."

"Come on, Squirrelflight," Stormfur purred. "Every cat knows you have a soft spot in your heart for Brambleclaw."

"I... what... no way," she protested, then rounded on me. "Where have you been, anyway, you stupid furball? Again hiking around the lake, trying to kill yourself, as if you didn't learn your lesson the last time!"

"It was not my fault this time," I meowed, taking a step back. Then I started to relate our adventure: how were we taken away, how we escaped, how we saved Mothwing. More and more warriors gathered around us, listening to the story.

"So I must take that we are at war now with RiverClan as well, because of your stupid heroics," Ashfur broke in. "As if the ShadowClan conflict was not enough."

"Ashfur is right," Dustpelt added. "We cannot interfere with other Clans' affairs. Especially a deputy cannot have divided loyalties."

"What do you mean?" I hissed incredulously. "They wanted to _kill_ my sister. I could not just stand about!"

"Maybe they had a good reason to do it," Spiderleg sneered. "After all, we know well what Tigerstar's kits are capable of if let loose," he continued, waving his tail in my direction. "I bet they just wanted to protect their Clan."

There was a general uproar at this, with some warriors agreeing, others protesting; several of them flexing their claws menacingly. Squirrelflight stepped forward, blocking my way, to prevent me from launching myself at Spiderleg and Ashfur. At that moment, Firestar emerged from Leafpool's den with a morose face, and bounded up to us.

"Enough of that," he growled, his tone matching his expression. The cats shrank back. "I will not allow this kind of dissension in the Clan. Mothwing saved the life of Sandstorm, and any cat talking bad about her will answer to me personally. She is welcome to stay with us until the conflict in RiverClan is over, and will help Leafpool in her medicine cat duties."

There was a moment of silence, no cat wanting to disagree with the leader. Finally, Dustpelt spoke up. "And what about the kit? Is he joining the Clan? At this rate, ThunderClan will soon have more kittypets than Clanborn cats."

The cats looked at Blaze curiously, who still sat by my side, tail curled around his paws, taken aback by the hostile welcome. "His name is Blaze, and we rescued him from ShadowClan territory. Blackstar wanted to kill him to take revenge on his parents," I replied, choosing my words carefully. The cats gasped, and looked at the kit with much more sympathy. "I will not neglect a kit in danger. As for being accepted in the Clan or not, that is up to Firestar to decide."

"All right then," Firestar broke in before any cat could ask more questions. "This is sorted out, so we can return to our duties. Brackenfur, please see to the patrols. Ashfur and Spiderleg, you will help Birchpaw to change the beddings in the warriors' den. Brambleclaw and Cloudtail, have those wounds of yours checked by Leafpool. Blaze, you will come with me to the nursery."

As I entered the medicine cat's den, shaking the raindrops off my coat, Leafpool and Mothwing had just finished tending to Sandstorm. The pale ginger warrior was asleep, her flank rising and falling with shallow breaths. "She will be all right," Leafpool meowed, seeing my anxious glance. "You did well, Brambleclaw. The entire Clan is grateful to you, never mind what some troublemakers might say."

I lay down on a mossy bedding, and she removed the blood-stiffened cobwebs from my wound, applying a poultice of herbs. Mothwing tended to Cloudtail in the meantime.

"You were at the Moonpool," I remarked after she finished her job. "Did the ancestors let you know how can I stop Tigerstar? Or resist him, at least?"

"Unfortunately, no," the tabby she-cat sighed. "On the contrary, they told that the Dark Forest was getting stronger, putting all Clans in danger. But they also told that..." She trailed off, then continued after a short while. "Oh well, it is about you, so I guess I can tell about it. You will go on a quest, probably to defeat the Dark Forest, helped by three other cats. However, I am not sure if you will succeed or not. Maybe the ancestors don't know it either."

I pondered what I heard for long moments. "A quest, then. Where should I start?"

"That I do not know. I am sure the ancestors will let you know in time." She padded to the back of the den and returned with some poppy seeds wrapped in a leaf. "This will ease your pain. You must rest for a few days before you can take up warrior duties."

I lapped up the seeds, curled up on the bedding and slipped in a deep, dreamless sleep.

By the time I woke, it was sunset and the rain had already stopped. Dark shadows crept up the cliffs of the stone hollow. Although it was not cold, I was shivering, and my head spinning. I looked around in the dim light – Cloudtail had already left, and Leafpool was sorting some herbs in the back of the den. Sandstorm was still asleep, her breathing deeper and more regular.

Suddenly, a familiar scent drifted up my nostrils, and I inhaled deeply, taking it in. The next moment, Squirrelflight's lithe shape appeared in the entrance, a mouse dangling from her jaw. She took a look at Sandstorm and exchanged a few muffled words with Leafpool, then padded over to me. "I brought you some fresh-kill," she meowed and gently touched her nose to mine.

I devoured the mouse with quick bites, purring gratefully. "Is everything all right in the Clan?" I asked after finishing the meal.

"The spirits have calmed down," the ginger she-cat replied. "Firestar called a meeting while you were asleep. He recounted the ShadowClan ambush and the RiverClan trouble, telling the warriors that we must stand united to face the dangers; there must be no conflicts. He also accepted the kit in the Clan, and gave him a Clan name – he is now Blazekit."

She lay down next to me to groom my pelt with affectionate licks. "I am so relieved to have you back," she purred softly, and I moved closer to her. We lay beside each other with our pelts touching, looking at the first stars of Silverpelt shining through fast-moving clouds in the deep blue sky.

* * *

_Note: Again a long delay in the update – I guess it goes along the lines of 'not much feedback – not much enthusiasm'. ;) In all cases, thanks for all people who read, reviewed or favourited the story – especially Macey-the-Invisible, SymphoniaFreak and BramblexSquirrel._


	10. Chapter 8: Confessions

**Chapter 8  
**_Confessions_

_The night landscape was well lit by the thousands of stars that seemed closer than ever. Two she-cats pressed through the undergrowth of the silent night forest; both were young, graceful, with finely shaped heads and stars in their silver furs. Pushing through brackens, they came to a wide valley with a river winding through it._

"_This always reminds me of the place where I first met Greystripe... the place where I gave birth to you and Stormfur," the first__cat meowed. They padded to the shore, looking at the water reflecting the glittering stars above. "When I died, I thought that one day, I would be reunited with Greystripe, here in StarClan. But now, as he was taken away from the Clans, I fear I will never see him again."_

_Her companion, an even younger cat padded forward to join her, looking around to take in the night landscape. Suddenly, something caught her attention – a wall of dark mist in the distance, shrouding the distant hills. She breathed in sharply; she heard about the wall of mist that made up the border of the Place of No Stars, and glanced it several times in the distance while walking in remote corners of the sky – but never saw it here. It seemed that the Dark Forest was expanding, conquering StarClan's hunting grounds._

_The other cat glanced up, her eyes also spotting on the dark mist in the distance. "That can't be... we must warn the others right away."_

_

* * *

_The trying adventures of the recent days took their toll on me, and I spent half of the next day sleeping in the medicine cat's den. "The more you rest, the sooner you'll find your paws," Leafpool advised as she brought me some bitter herbs and a bundle of moss soaked in water. She and Mothwing took good care of me, and I could feel the energy returning to my body with each passing moment. Sandstorm was slowly recovering too; she was already conscious, although she did not have enough strength yet to get up.

Firestar, Squirrelflight and even Goldenflower visited the den several times, checking up on both my and Sandstorm's condition. Squirrelflight dropped in to share tongues with me after she returned from dawn patrol, recounting what did the patrols find. Everything seemed to be in order, with no news about ShadowClan or RiverClan trying to make a move.

At sunhigh, I finally felt enough strength to return to my warrior duties. Leafpool was on the same opinion. "You can go on patrols, or even hunting, but be careful and do not tire yourself for a couple of days," she advised.

I got to my paws and gave a long stretch, then began grooming my unkempt pelt with thorough licks.

"Actually, Brambleclaw, there is a thing you can help me with," Mothwing meowed. "Can you show me around the ThunderClan grounds, so I will know where to gather herbs, and where to hunt? Leafpool would do it, but she has her paws full. As long as I am in ThunderClan, I wish to be able to help out where I can, but I don't know the territory."

"Of course," I replied. "But I don't know much about herbs... I never paid much attention."

"Mothwing will recognize them, just show her around," Leafpool purred, flicking her tail over my ears as me and my sister padded to the entrance and pressed through the curtain of tendrils. The rains had passed; the sun was shining between lazily roaming clouds, bathing the hollow in light and warmth.

Brackenfur and Dustpelt were the first to spot me, and the golden tabby signalled for us to join them by the fresh-kill pile. "Brambleclaw, it is nice to see that you are recovering," he meowed as I sat down next to them and took a magpie from the pile. "I sent out the dawn patrols; do you want to take care of the sunset ones?"

"You can carry on with them for today," I replied. "Thanks a lot for helping me out. I am leaving for a short walk, to show Mothwing where to find some herbs we need."

Brackenfur nodded. Dustpelt opened his mouth as if to make a comment about warriors with divided loyalties revealing our territory to a cat from an enemy Clan, but eventually he just meowed "All right. Take care." There was no trace of hostility or reproach in his tone; still, there had been a lingering tension between us since the day before.

The next moment, Squirrelflight appeared from the direction of the warriors' den and bounded up to us with her bushy tail held straight up. "Great to see that you are finally up! I thought we could go on a hunting patrol... want to come?"

"Actually, Brambleclaw promised to show me around on the territory," Mothwing broke in before I could reply, and I nodded after some hesitation. Even if I longed to go hunting with Squirrelflight, I first wanted to keep my promise to my half-sister. After the hostile welcome, she needed every support a cat could give her.

"Oh... all right," the flame-coloured warrior meowed crossly, her tail drooping, a flash of distrust in her eyes as she glanced at Mothwing. "Suit yourselves, then." She turned around and called out to Whitewing, then pelted away in the direction of the thorn tunnel with her friend.

Before we left the camp, I stopped by the nursery to see how Blaze was doing. _Blazekit_, I reminded myself. He was sleeping soundly on the soft nest under the large bramble thicket, together with Sorreltail's kits, pressed against each other. The dappled queen was watching over them, curling her body around the five kits protectively. She raised her head sleepily and waved her tail in greeting.

"He has been sleeping since yesterday, the journey really exhausted him," Mothwing meowed as we continued in the direction of the camp entrance, then slipped through the tunnel and emerged in the newleaf forest. "But he seems to be all right; I checked him several times today."

"How do others treat him?" I asked. I was afraid that most cats would be hostile to a kittypet.

"Every cat loves him," my sister assured me, and I let out a small sigh of relief. "The queens take good care of him, and the warriors admire his bravery. He will have a place in ThunderClan."

We started off towards the WindClan border, and padded at a brisk pace. The newleaf forest was flooded with sunshine, the green lushness almost bright enough to hurt our eyes. I kept showing Mothwing the landmarks of the territory, offering advice about hunting, and telling short stories about what happened at various places.

The medicine cat was more interested in the herbs, though – flowers were in full bloom everywhere, and she stopped frequently to take a look at a plant and explain me what it was and how to use it. "You can never know when it will be useful," she meowed when she saw that I was not paying much attention. "You can be on your own, when your knowledge of herbs could mean the difference between life and death."

_On my own_. Uneasiness crept along my spine like invisible claws as I remembered what Leafpool told about some quest I was supposed to undertake with a handful of other cats. _A quest... like some long and dangerous journey, where every bit of knowledge could mean the difference between life and death?_

Pressing ourselves through dense bracken, we emerged in a sunlit glade that I knew well from my hunting patrols. It was covered with sweet-smelling grass and patches of small, bright yellow flowers. "That is... marigold, is it not?" I asked.

"Indeed, it is." The medicine cat was satisfied that I finally managed to recognize something. "The petals and leaves are chewed and applied to wounds to stop infection. It blooms from mid-newleaf to early leaf-fall in sunny places," she explained, and I tried to memorize it. "I wonder if we should gather some for Leafpool; she is running low on it," she mused, halting in her walk.

"Well, she did not tell us to bring her anything," I remarked, stopping next to her. The warm sunshine was melting into my fur, and I arched my back in satisfaction.

"Indeed, but I would like to help her out where I can," Mothwing replied. "Leafpool is one of the few cats in ThunderClan who are friendly to me. The others... well, they are not openly hostile, but I know that I am not welcome here. And I heard what Spiderleg said... it seems that cats will always associate me with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost."

"Some cats are like that, but most are sensible," I reassured my sister, comforting her with gentle licks. "I went through the same; every cat saw Tigerstar in me, but I proved them wrong and found my place in the Clan. They will accept you as well."

"It is not the same. You belong to the Clan, while I am only a refugee." Her whiskers twitched. "I don't know what will I do. I cannot return to RiverClan while most of their warriors want me dead. I guess I will be a rogue again."

"You will have a place here," I encouraged her, continuing to groom her soft, golden pelt. "You are a ThunderClan cat by heritage. Our father was a ThunderClan warrior through and through, even if he spent the last moons of his life in ShadowClan. And... you can always count on me, you know. I will be there for you."

She closed her eyes, pressing her pelt against mine, and I wrapped my body around hers. I was grateful for her presence – after Tawnypelt had left for ShadowClan, there was always a stinging emptiness in my heart, and Mothwing's company filled a part of that void.

"We should go on," I suggested, and we entered the shadowy forest. It took my eyes several moments to get accustomed to the darkness, after the sunlit clearing. The trees got denser; huge grey trunks covered by moss and ivy.

Suddenly, I smelled the scent of prey, and it reminded me how hungry I was. Stepping around a trunk, I spotted a mouse at a distance of several foxlengths, nibbling at an acorn, half-hidden in the undergrowth. Warning my companion with a wave of my tail, I glided around several more tree trunks as silently as I could, putting one paw after another, trying to get enough close to it while keeping outside its range of vision.

Measuring the distance, I crouched and took off in a long leap, landing with one paw on the mouse's back, pinning it down. However, a sharp jolt of pain cut through my body as I hit the ground, my healing wounds protesting against the exertion, and as I stumbled, the creature managed to wriggle itself free and run away. "Mouse dung," I hissed through gritted teeth. Then I saw a flash of golden fur as Mothwing jumped forth to pounce on the mouse, killing it instantly with a swipe of her paw. She looked at me triumphantly.

"Wow, good catch," I admitted, surprised. "I though RiverClan cats can only catch fish," I teased her.

"Not really," Mothwing replied. "Anyway, my mother taught me hunting, before I and Hawkfrost joined RiverClan. She taught us how to hunt, how to fight. I wanted to become a warrior, but later I ended up as a medicine cat apprentice."

She would have made a great warrior – she was strong, muscular, her movements fast and graceful. "StarClan destined you to be a medicine cat," I remarked. I heard from Hawkfrost how Mudfur had found the moth's wing at the entrance of his den.

"No. There is no such thing as StarClan," she snorted. "It's just a tale for kits."

I looked at her, my jaw dropping in surprise. I knew not all cats believed in StarClan – but a medicine cat? One that was supposed to share tongues with the ancestors, interpreting their messages, asking them for help and advice?

Mothwing looked at me defensively when she saw my stricken expression. "I know what you must think. But I still can be a good medicine cat, can't I? I know all the herbs, and can help my fellow Clanmates. No cat knows I don't believe in them... only Leafpool. And now, you."

Her trust in me warmed my heart, but I still could not pull myself together. "But... what about the prophecies that guided us? The Great Journey? Did the Clans found their new home by coincidence?"

"It might have been exactly that," she meowed. "After all, there are many places fit for the Clans; no matter in which direction we went, we could have found one sooner or later. Maybe even a better one." She was quiet for a few moments, but seeing that I would not agree, she continued. "I thought I believed in them when I was an apprentice – even though they never sent me dreams. I thought the moth's wing was a sign from them. But it turned out that it was Hawkfrost who put it outside Mudfur's den. That knowledge put an end to my belief."

I sighed, a feeling of bitterness invading my soul. _Hawkfrost_. After all atrocities he had committed against the Clans, he also shattered the faith of my sister in his quest for power.

We shared the fresh-kill, then continued our trip across the dense forest, the faint tension between us gradually dissolving. "We should hunt on the way home," Mothwing suggested. "So that the warriors won't say we idled our time away." I murmured agreement, remembering with a pang of guilt that I did not even ask Firestar if we could leave.

By the time we were on our way back to the camp, laden with fresh-kill, twilight has already begun to deepen the shadows of the forest. As we came upon another small clearing, I stopped in my tracks as memories came rushing back. It was here where I saved Squirrelflight and Ashfur from the jaws of a fox, about one moon ago.

Mothwing looked around, not knowing why did I stop, and I explained. "A fox almost killed Squirrelflight on this clearing. We managed to chase it away, and she recovered quickly, but I had nightmares for a quarter moon."

"You are very close to her, aren't you?" Mothwing observed; it was rather a remark than a question.

"Well... we had our share of disagreements, but we always made up, and we care about each other," I replied. "I could say that she is my best friend in the whole Clan."

"Friend?" Mothwing asked in mock surprise. "Come on, Brambleclaw, any cat can see you are deeply in love with her."

A wave of heat ran through me, realizing that what Mothwing said was true – there was no other she-cat I could imagine spending the rest of my life with. "You are probably right," I admitted as we left the clearing behind and continued padding in the direction of the camp.

* * *

The next day I already resumed my deputy duties, leading one of the dawn patrols myself, following the ShadowClan border and renewing the markers along the stream.

After returning and listening to the reports of the senior warriors, I checked if everything was all right in the camp, and if the elders and queens were fed. Blazekit saw me and bounded out of the nursery, tail curled up.

"Hi Brambleclaw," he greeted me, brushing his soft fur against my forelegs. "When can we finally do some training and exploring? Will you be my mentor? I am already bored of staying under this bush."

"He will be _my_ mentor," another voice sounded, Berrykit appearing in the entrance, beaming with pride. "Firestar told yesterday that I would be an apprentice in less than one moon's time."

_Mentor_. Leafpool's words about the quest echoed again in my mind. _Going on a ques__t... does that mean I have to give up my place in the Clan, and never be a mentor? And resign as a deputy – the position I fought for for so long?_

"Blazekit, I know you can take care of yourself," I replied, "but you cannot leave the camp until you are six moons old." The kit pulled a long face. "But it is not _that_ boring here. You will play with the other kits, listen to the tales of queens and elders, and learn a lot about Clan code and history."

Rainwhisker padded up to me, followed by several other cats, and reminded me that we should hold another training session in the mossy hollow for the warriors, as we did two days before. I supervised the training, even though I did not fight; then I led a border parol at sunhigh, checking the ShadowClan border again. Streaks of clouds started to roll in, and shadows danced on the undergrowth as the sun was covered behind white swirls, then revealed again.

By the time I returned to the camp, my paws were falling off. I longed to take a good rest on Squirrelflight's side – we did not yet have the chance that day to spend some time with each other – but Leafpool had another thing in mind.

"Sorreltail needs some borage and water mint, but I don't have any remaining, so we need to restock," she meowed as she checked if my wound was healing well. "I cannot leave Sandstorm's side, but Mothwing offered to go and gather some. However, the herbs are found only close to the ShadowClan border, and it would be dangerous for a cat to go alone – Firestar expects more raids from them. Since you are one of the warriors who get along well with her, you should escort her."

"Of course," I meowed. Even though I was tired, I could not ignore her request – indeed, I was one of the few cats Mothwing could trust.

"I'm coming too," Thornclaw called as he bounded up to joined us. "Three cats are better than two." I agreed; he was also one of those few who already made friends with my sister.

As I looked around the stone hollow for the last time before slipping through the thorn tunnel, my sight was caught by the accusing gleam of a pair of green eyes in the dark depth of the warrior's den. I considered returning – Thornclaw was escorting Mothwing anyway – but I remembered the promise I made to my sister. Sighing, I turned around to follow her.

We started out in a quick pace, the golden medicine cat leading the patrol and us two following her from a short distance. Once we arrived, Mothwing started to gather tall stems with small, star-shaped flowers, helped out by Thornclaw. I was standing guard, ears pricked and muscles tensed – but no ShadowClan menace came.

The sun was setting by the time we returned to the camp, Mothwing and Thornclaw pelting off to carry bundles of herbs to the medicine cat's den, while I dropped two starlings I caught on the small fresh-kill pile.

I glanced around and spotted Squirrelflight and Whitewing emerging from the warriors' den and moving towards the camp entrance, obviously to leave on a late hunting patrol. The ginger warrior was looking worried and morose; her nervousness likely caused by her mother's condition. Remembering that I kind of neglected her through the hectic events of the past few days, I walked up to greet them, but she gave me a cold stare. "Will you move out of the way, you big lump," she growled, pushing past me.

I turned to follow her. "Squirrelflight, what is the problem? I thought we could go on a hunting patrol, or..."

"Why don't you go with your precious Mothwing instead, and leave me alone? You care only about her lately," she snapped, darting away and disappearing through the thorn tunnel.

I could not believe my ears. Squirrelflight was jealous of Mothwing! Of course I cared about my sister. She was nearly killed by the RiverClan warriors, distrusted in ThunderClan, her faith in StarClan crushed. I was the only cat she could trust and lean on, and it was me who took responsibility when she was accepted by Firestar in our Clan.

The warriors in the clearing stared at me. "I think you should go after her," Whitewing meowed softly, touching her tail-tip to my shoulder.

The faint scent trail led me to the lake, and finally I spotted the shape of a dark ginger cat sitting on the shore, staring absently at the sky where the swirls of dark grey clouds were painted brilliant golden by the setting sun. I carefully padded forward and sat down, keeping a certain distance from her.

"Squirrelflight..." I began, gently touching my tail-tip to her chin to make her look at me. There was a mixture of sadness and defiance in her eyes. "You cannot blame me for spending some time with Mothwing. She is my sister, she went through a lot, and needs a cat she can trust. That does not mean I don't care about you."

She tore her gaze away and looked again at the sky, claws tearing at the ground. "Brambleclaw, it's not that I have something against her. It's just that... I feel again as if I was losing you."

I groaned inwardly. _Why must she-cats be so difficult?_ I proved enough times how much did I care about her, but Squirrelflight was ready to toss me away each time when she did not get enough attention, or when I did something she didn't approve. _We cannot continue like this._

My hackles started rising and I wondered if I should give her a piece of my mind. But I knew nonetheless that I would likely lose her then for good, and I could not risk that. In these times with danger haunting my every pawstep, with the menace of Tigerstar, Blackstar and Blackclaw looming over the Clans, Squirrelflight was the only one whose friendship gave me strength and comfort.

_Friend? Any cat can see you are deeply in love with her_, Mothwing's words echoed in my mind.

The young warrior's eyes sparkled like green fire as she stared into the setting sun, her fluffed pelt gleaming in blazing orange hues, muscles tense on her lithe shape. She was beautiful.

"Squirrelflight," I sighed, letting my neck fur lie flat. She turned her head to look in my eyes. "How many times did I prove that you are the only cat close to my heart? I need you. The truth is that I... I love you."

There, I finally told her. Even if we were close to each other since the Great Journey, even if some of the Clan cats had already considered us mates, this was the first time when I actually admitted my true feelings, both to her and to myself.

She stared at me for a time that seemed forever, her eyes growing wet with emotion. My heart was beating in my throat, expecting her to turn and walk away, but instead she moved closer, pressing her flank to mine.

"I love you too, Brambleclaw. With all my heart."

We sat on the shore gazing at the golden and violet hues of the sunset sky, our tails twined together, her head resting on my shoulder. I wished time would stop for us so that I could enjoy that moment for an eternity.

* * *

I spent most of the next day with Squirrelflight, going on hunting and border patrols together, and sometimes it was hard for me not to be distracted by her scent and closeness. She also made friends with Mothwing – several other cats did, in fact. Overall, things were getting back to normal in the Clan; what's more, ShadowClan seemingly gave up trying to take our territory. However, we had no idea what was happening in RiverClan.

I had just returned with Squirrelflight from a short but effective hunting trip in the late afternoon, and we headed for the warriors' den for a well-deserved rest before heading out for the sunset patrol, but Stormfur and Firestar called out to us and we bounded up to join them.

"Brambleclaw," Stormfur began, his face grave. "I already discussed this with Firestar, but you should know about it as well. I decided I would head out for RiverClan, to see what are they up to... with the recent events that took place there, I fear the worst."

"But the Gathering is in three days," I argued. "We can see it for ourselves then."

"Many things can happen in three days," Firestar remarked. "It was Sandstorm's idea actually – she thinks that Mistyfoot is in danger." Mistyfoot was one of Sandstorm's closest friends, and she always opposed Blackclaw. "Mothwing is equally worried about Willowpaw. I also wish that Squirrelflight went with Stormfur; she is one of the few cats here who know RiverClan territory well."

Squirrelflight was taken aback at first, but determination replaced nervousness in her eyes almost instantly. "All right."

"I am going too," I broke in heatedly. I could not let her walk into danger without being by her side. "I know the territory too; we explored the lake together."

"Three warriors are too much," Firestar disagreed. "It's about moving fast and remaining unseen. And you still didn't recover completely from all those fights."

"But... I cannot let Squirrelflight go," I blurted out. "What would happen if..."

"Are you suggesting that I cannot take care of myself?" The ginger warrior spun to face me, her face barely a mouselength from mine. "Really, Brambleclaw, I am not a kit, so don't act like..." She stopped, seeing the troubled anxiety in my eyes, her gaze softening, and she took a short step forward and reached her neck to press her cheek to mine. "Nothing bad will happen, I promise."

"All right, so this is sorted out," Firestar meowed. "Take care, and may StarClan protect you."

"We will return before moonhigh," Stormfur assured us as he started padding towards the camp entrance. Squirrelflight followed him, brushing her fur to mine as she pushed next me. I stood for long moments, staring at the thorn tunnel where they vanished.

Later, I went on the sunset patrol with Firestar and Dustpelt, checking the WindClan border. Arriving at the lake, I traced my gaze along the shore, hoping I could see the two questing cats in the distance, but the fading light and gathering mist prevented me from spotting any shape.

_Nothing bad will happen. We will return before moonhigh._

Once back in the camp, I visited Leafpool's den – my wound was sore again, and she gave me some poppy seeds and thyme leaves. Retiring in the warriors' den, I lay down on the moss, planning to stay awake until Squirrelflight returned. However, sleep took me in an instant.

My dreams were filled with her. I saw us walking side by side in lush greenleaf landscapes and in shadowy forests... surveying the countryside from a hilltop... entering a dark cave... resting in a Twoleg garden... looking at a white streak cutting across the sky...

A paw prodded my side and the dreams faded away. "Brambleclaw," a she-cat meowed in my ear.

"Squirrelflight..." I murmured, half asleep. I breathed in deeply, but could not sense her scent.

"Brambleclaw, it's me, Brook," the cat meowed urgently, prodding me again. "They did not return."

"Who?" I opened my eyes and blinked sleepily. It was close to dawn, the sky began turning from the deepest black to a dark gray. I heard the steady breathing of the other warriors around me.

"Stormfur and Squirrelflight... they did not return!"


	11. Chapter 9: Forever

**Chapter 9  
**_Forever_

"_I can already see it in the distance," Silverstream panted. After a short while, the patrol arrived at the wall of mist. It was changing and swirling, smoky tendrils reaching out of it as if to feel around. All cats knew what it was, and all of them could see that it was expanding, swallowing slowly StarClan's hunting grounds._

"_Cannot we just go in and kill Tigerstar, or whoever is behind this?" Stonefur meowed. "Five against one – he would never stand a chance."_

"_You cannot kill a spirit that easily," Thunderstar remarked. "It is not life force that keeps them around, but the memories and feelings of the living cats. Thus, I doubt that Tigerstar will ever vanish."_

"_Moreover, no cat from StarClan can survive entering the Place of No Stars," Bluestar added. "We would get lost there, and never be able to leave it."_

"_So, what will we do?" Leopardfoot prompted, her shiny black fur bristling. "Stand about as he takes over both our hunting grounds and the living world?"_

"_We talked about this," Bluestar meowed, glancing at Thunderstar. "There is one cat who can help us, if he gets the necessary training."_

_Thunderstar tensed. "No. I told you already, we cannot allow any cat to have power over the spirit realms."_

"_You just don't trust him because who his father was," Leopardfoot snapped.  
_

"_Do we have another choice?" Bluestar asked, stepping closer to Thunderstar. "Considering that we must act as soon as possible?"_

_Thunderstar's ear twitched, and tore at the ground with his claws. "All right," he meowed finally. "I agree that we don't have much choice. But it was you who said that no cat could mentor him, as the knowledge was lost."_

"_Maybe it was not," Leopardfoot murmured. "I think there is someone who could help us."_

_

* * *

_I slipped out silently of the warriors' den, with Brook following me, and gave a long stretch. Some of the warriors stirred in their sleep, but no cat woke up. Dawn was near; the cliffs of the stone hollow were outlined by a pale grey light.

"We must ask Firestar to send a patrol to look for them and bring them back," Brook suggested. "If they are still alive..."

_Alive?_ The thought that they possibly perished made my breath seize in my lungs. _Maybe lost... maybe captured... maybe injured... but dead?_

I started padding in the direction of Firestar's den, but suddenly halted in my tracks, thinking better of it. Firestar most likely would have stopped me from going, just like the day before. And the other warriors would have done the same – several cats held me responsible for the tensions with RiverClan, and they wanted to avoid further problems. I had to go myself and right the situation before my Clanmates had the opportunity to blame me even more.

"I'm going on my own," I replied.

She gave me a surprised look, but did not protest. "Well, I'm coming too," she meowed. "I must know what happened with Stormfur."

Cloudtail stood guard outside the camp entrance, and intercepted us before we could sneak off. "It seems that you are up to no good," he remarked. "Do you want me to come along?"

"Thanks, but we can do it on our own," I replied. "Tell Firestar that we will be back after sunhigh. Please organize the patrols for today."

"All right," the white warrior grunted, disappointed. "Where are you going, anyway?"

I wondered how much should I tell him – Firestar did not even tell the other cats where did Stormfur and Squirrelflight go, to avoid them going on rescue patrols on their own and causing more trouble – but before I could reply, Brook filled him in, telling about the mission that likely came to a disastrous end.

"I wonder what went wrong," Cloudtail mused. "Checking what was happening in RiverClan and remaining unseen does not sound like a difficult mission."

"Difficult or not, Squirrelflight has always had a knack for getting in trouble," I sighed worriedly.

"Well, lately it's you who always gets into trouble," the other cat remarked. "Are you sure you don't want more warriors to come along? The two of you cannot take on all RiverClan."

"It's not all RiverClan, just a couple of troublemakers at most. And we are not looking for a fight," I reminded him. "I just want to find out what happened, and bring back the cats."

Dark thoughts whirled in my mind as I raced across the waking forest. "Come on, stop thinking of the worst," Brook encouraged me, touching her tail-tip to my shoulder. "You won't be much of a help if you keep worrying like that." I nodded, but it was not that easy to push my anxiety aside. "We should hunt for some prey," she continued. "We are getting close to the border, and this is out last opportunity."

I murmured agreement, even if I could hardly think of eating anything. We broke up and the lithe prey-hunter returned soon, dragging a rabbit that obviously wandered across the WindClan border. After devouring the fresh-kill, we pressed on and soon reached the stream, turning right to follow it to the lake where we could enter the other Clan's territory, keeping the agreed distance from the shore. Dawn painted the sky in delicate shades of pink and purple, and the light reflected on the calm surface of water that was only occasionally rippled by a fresh morning breeze.

Small silhouettes of cats showed up on the hilltop on our left, and soon there was a patrol streaming down the hillside to meet us, Ashfoot leading it, with Crowfeather and Nightcloud behind her.

"Quite a few ThunderClan cats hiking around the lake these days," Crowfeather remarked after we greeted each other.

"Did you saw Squirrelflight and Stormfur?" I asked. "What happened with them?"

"They told they wanted to check out something in RiverClan territory," he shrugged. "I guess you are doing the same? Is ThunderClan spying on the other Clans, or what?"

The WindClan patrol measured us with bristling fur. This was not going well.

"I have no intention of getting involved in their business," I replied, choosing my words carefully. "But it came to our attention that some kind of power struggle is about to occur in their Clan. They already tried to kill their medicine cat in some conflict of theirs."

"I know what you are talking about," Nightcloud broke in. "Some days ago I ran into Blackclaw at the border. He asked if we were interested in helping them overthrowing Leopardstar, as he considered her unfit to lead the Clan. Naturally, I turned him down. Don't know what happened afterwards; it is rumoured that they are recruiting rogues for their fight."

"You can see now why are we worried," I grunted to Crowfeather.

He nodded. "And what did Squirrelflight and Stormfur find?"

"That is the problem." My ears twitched with nervousness. "They never returned. We are trying to find out now what happened to them."

Crowfeather's gaze softened, anxiety replacing edginess in his blue eyes. Even if he was usually unfriendly, the fate of his friends – those whom he followed to the sun-drown place – did not leave him untouched. "Well, let's hope that no harm came to them. Good luck to you."

Ashfoot turned to lead the patrol back to their camp, and the other two warriors followed her. They made their way up the hill, glancing back from time to time to see if we were keeping to the shore. We pressed on, soon passing the horseplace on our left, and eventually reaching the RiverClan border. Golden light flooded the distant hills and treetops as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon behind us.

Instead of following the lakeshore, Brook turned towards some thickets in the distance. "This way," she meowed. "They will see us if we follow the shore, and I don't expect any RiverClan cat to be friendly to us. I know a seldom-walked path where we will have cover, and it will take us close to the camp."

A yowl in the distance made us jump. Turning around, we saw Crowfeather darting towards us, and we stopped to wait for him. "I'm coming too," he panted as he caught up. "I will not let my friends down. It's just that I couldn't get away with the rest of the patrol watching me."

I was grateful for his decision. We had better chances if it came to a fight, and I knew I could rely on the black warrior in this mission. We reached the cover of the thickets and continued in single file, alert for every sound and scent. As we approached the river, the ground became marshy and the thickets were replaced by tall reeds.

We spotted movement, and a small cat appeared ahead, a bundle of herbs in her mouth. Crowfeather tensed and unsheathed his claws, but there was no need to worry; it was Willowpaw, the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, dropping the herbs in her surprise, then continued without waiting for an answer. "You are in danger; a patrol is coming this way. Come." I could make out Blackclaw's voice in the distance, and the breeze brought the scent of several cats. The apprentice led us deeper in the reeds, close to the river, where the ground was flooded. "Hide in the water."

My fur stood on its end at the thought of getting soaked, but I obediently padded forward, crouching down in the water until only my nose and eyes were above the surface. My companions followed example, and we listened intently to what was happening. Three or four cats were crashing through the reeds, and Willowpaw bounded forward to meet them.

"I thought I could smell WindClan," Voletooth grunted, sniffing the air. "Did you see any enemy cats?"

"I did not see any _enemy_ cat," Willowpaw answered. "And don't step on that watermint, badger feet. I spent a lot of time to gather it."

Another cat muttered something incomprehensible, then the patrol turned and was on its way. We waited until the distant sounds died away, then climbed out of the water, shaking our soggy pelts indignantly.

"So? What is this about?" Willowpaw prompted as she whipped around to face us.

I stepped forward and dipped my head to thank her for saving us from Blackclaw's patrol. "We are looking for two of our Clanmates. They came here yesterday to... check if everything was all right in your Clan. We were worried about Mistyfoot... about you... about the recent events that occurred here."

"I saw your Clanmates," the apprentice replied. "A patrol caught two intruders near the camp yesterday evening. One was Stormfur, and the other a ginger cat I did not know. They were taken prisoners."

"Were they hurt? How are they?" Brook and I cut in at the same time.

"Prisoners?" Crowfeather asked incredulously. "Why didn't they just chase them out?"

"I don't know if they were hurt," Willowpaw meowed. "They never asked for my help as a medicine cat, so I guess their condition is stable. As for the other question," she flicked her ears in my direction, "I understood that they are kept as prisoners to lure you here, Brambleclaw, and then kill you, together with the ginger cat."

"Kill me _and_ her? Why?" I expected them to take their revenge on me after the recent events, but what did Squirrelflight have to do with all this?

"I have no idea," Willowpaw shrugged. "Apparently, Blackclaw gets some orders and advice in his dreams from some spirit."

A sense of fear and foreboding escalated in me. Obviously, Tigerstar and Hawkfrost found a way to invade the dreams of other cats beside mine, and their first action was to try taking revenge. Tigerstar's words echoed in my mind. _I will get my revenge on everyone who defied me. I can assure that your dear Squirrelflight will die in the greatest agony a cat could experience. Then Firestar, and the others._

I pushed the dark thoughts to the back of my mind – we had more pressing matters to attend to. "Where are the prisoners? In the camp?"

"They are held somewhere near the edge of the RiverClan territory. I never visited that part, but I know the approximate location. Come."

I turned to follow the apprentice, but Crowfeather hesitated. "Can we trust her?" he asked in a low voice. "Are you sure this is not a trap?"

"If there is any cat in RiverClan we can trust, it is Willowpaw," Brook retorted.

"Do you expect me to support Blackclaw after he killed my mentor?" Willowpaw sighed, eyes downcast. Crowfeather's ears twitched with embarrassment. "But to answer your question: yes, I suppose it is a trap. They want to capture Brambleclaw, after all. You have to be alert and evade it."

We started out with the apprentice leading us, crossing the river through stepping stones, avoiding the patrols and the camp with success. The water and mud clinging to my fur was uncomfortable, but at least it masked our scents. "What else is happening in your Clan?" I asked, determined to find out everything that can help or hinder us in our mission.

"Leopardstar and Mistyfoot had a nasty argument," Willowpaw replied. "Mistyfoot disapproved the actions of Blackclaw and his friends, while Leopardstar said they were loyal warriors. The other cats started to argue as well. The next day, Mistyfoot disappeared... I don't know if she left the Clan, or killed, or taken as prisoner."

We padded on, crossing a grove of birch trees. "And what about you?" Brook asked Willowpaw. "How do they treat you? Is everything all right?"

"For now, yes," the apprentice replied. "They are kind to me as they want to earn my trust. After Mothwing's death, they don't want to lose their only medicine cat, especially as they expect some kind of battle."

I gave her a few encouraging licks. "Mothwing is not dead. She escaped, and now she is in the ThunderClan camp."

Her tail curled up, and she pressed herself against my soaked pelt. "Really? Thanks StarClan! Can I visit her?"

"I am sure she will return in RiverClan once the problems are sorted out," I replied.

"Quiet," Crowfeather hissed. "I can smell cats."

Brook sniffed the air. "Not RiverClan," she remarked. "I guess some rogues passed by, wandering here from a nearby Twolegplace." We were now approaching the edge of the Clan territory, near the Thunderpath that stretched outside the RiverClan and WindClan grounds. We stalked forward in the cover of the overgrown thickets, sniffing the air and the ground.

Suddenly, I spotted a tuft of dark ginger fur caught on a thorny branch, emanating a faint but familiar scent, mingled with the smell of blood and other cats. I crept forward, following the trail, until I came to an opening in the thickets through which I saw a large clearing. Peeking out, I saw Stonestream sitting in its middle, guarding something that appeared a deep trench in the ground. A broken fence and a pile of stones were nearby.

"Could this be where the prisoners are?" I asked my companions in a low voice.

Brook came forward and looked out the opening. "This clearing marks the outer border. That hole is Twoleg-made; it is said they wanted to build a nest there a long time ago, but abandoned it in the end. It is deep with smooth walls; a cat cannot climb out from there unless helped by others."

"All right, I guess this is the place we were looking for," I concluded, retreating to let Crowfeather take a look as well.

"We must make sure of that," Brook meowed. "I will take a look from that tree." She stalked away in the direction of a tall beech tree with branches reaching over the clearing, and began climbing it. I peeked out again, but Stonestream did not notice us; he sat there unmoving.

"Willowpaw, you should return to the camp before they start looking for you," I advised the apprentice. "If your Clan learns that you helped us, you will be in trouble." She hesitated for a few heartbeats, then nodded and bounded off.

Brook returned soon. "You were right; Mistyfoot, Stormfur and Squirrelflight are in that pit."

"Let's go then," Crowfeather grunted. "We scare away that brute, and then find a way to bring the cats out from there."

I sniffed the air again, but could not smell any cats nearby except the RiverClan warrior. I gave the signal and the three of us darted forward. Stonestream was taken aback, and retreated a few steps; the next moment, Brook and Crowfeather crashed into him. Seeing that they did not need help, I ran to the trench to look down, but I stumbled in a rusty, gnarled pole rooted in the ground and barely visible in the dust, and almost fell over. I managed to stop at the very edge of the hole, clawing with my front paws at the soft ground to regain my balance.

Looking down, I saw the three cats at the bottom – Stormfur was wounded, but alert; Squirrelflight lay on the ground apparently unconscious, and Mistyfoot was curled up in a corner, thin and weak from days of starvation.

"Hold on, we will get you out from there," I called to them, looking for a branch I could use.

Alarm flashed in Stormfur's amber eyes. "Brambleclaw, get away! It is a trap!"

Bushes rustled and branches cracked, and as I turned, I saw five rogues emerging from the thickets, padding forward lazily to surround us. Their fur was covered with mud to mask their scent, and their eyes flashed with hostility. At first, I did not know what to make of it, and whose side they were on, but then I remembered Nightcloud telling that Blackclaw recruited some rogues for his cause.

One of them – a tabby-and-white she-cat – started to speak, confirming my suspicion with her words. "Which is the cat we must kill?"

Stonestream tore himself free from Brook and Crowfeather, and joined the rogues. "You must kill that big tabby that stands by the pit. You can kill the she-cat as well. But let the black cat live; we can use him as a prisoner to make WindClan more cooperative."

I took in the enemies in one glance. _Six against three_. They were strong and tough; our chances were thin.

Not waiting for further instructions, the rogues leaped at us. Three of them were aiming at me, and I launched forward to get to a safe distance from the trench before their attack could push me over the edge. I scored my claws over the face of the tabby-and-white cat, and she retreated wailing, drawing a paw over her left eye.

A white tom jumped on me and pressed me to the ground, but I bit down on his leg as hard as I could and managed to get away from his loosening grip, then dodged the third cat's attack. The white cat did not give up and crashed into me, raking his claws across my flank as I fell, but I pushed him away with a strong kick that sent him rolling, and got to my paws. The tabby-and-white cat came at me again, but I reared up and struck at her, and he retreated in the thickets, blood flowing from a wound on her neck.

Glancing around, I saw Brook lying motionless, and Crowfeather locked in battle with a small and muscular cat, wrestling at the edge of the pit. "Look out!" I yowled to him, but it was too late – they slipped and both of them disappeared, falling into the hole. I heard a sickening thud, and I could only hope that the WindClan cat survived.

_Four against one_. Stonestream sat on the ground, licking a badly wounded paw, but the remaining three rogues hurled at me and knocked me to the ground, claws searching for my throat.

With a great effort, I managed to tear myself free, and leaped sideways. We exchanged blows, but I was forced to retreat, getting more and more exhausted, the blood loss weakening me. They slowly pushed me towards the trench, and I knew I would end up at its bottom in a few heartbeats. Taking another step back, I could feel with my tail the rusty pole rooted in the ground that almost caused me before to fall.

The three cats leaped forward at the same time, letting out a triumphant yowl, with the intent of pushing me over the edge. In the last moment, I jumped sideways, and before they could change direction, two of them stumbled in the pole and fell into the trench, their shrieks cut short as they hit the bottom. The third one – the large white tom – managed to get a pawhold, but I gave him a massive blow that sent him after his companions.

Looking down into the hole, I saw the rogues lying on the ground, some motionless, others twitching and moaning. To my relief, Crowfeather looked uninjured. Stormfur was also up, nudging Squirrelflight to her paws, waving his tail at me. "Can you get us out from here?"

"Wait there." I turned to check on Brook; the lithe she-cat lay on the ground with gashes on her flank, but was conscious and tried to get up as I approached her. I gently pushed her back with my paw. "Rest some more... it is over now."

Another movement caught my eye, and I saw Stonestream trudging off, limping heavily. I caught up to him before he could reach the thickets, and knocked him to the ground. "What was this about?" I snarled. "Does the once-proud RiverClan recruit now rogues to murder Clan cats?"

"It is not your business," he hissed. "We will be strong again, and we need cats for that. We will rule the other Clans, just as Hawkfrost planned."

"And look how did Hawkfrost end up," I remarked. "Or Tigerstar, who wanted the same thing."

"They were unlucky, but that does not mean they were wrong." He got to his paws. "Hawkfrost meets with Blackclaw in dreams, giving him advice and helping to finish what he attempted, to unite the Clans. It will be for the good of all of us."

Desperation welled up in me. Willowpaw was right: the Dark Forest could now influence not only me, but more and more warriors.

"How can you say that committing crimes on the order of some spirits will benefit the Clans?" I hissed. "They are interested only in revenge, not in our well-being."

The grey cat looked undecided. He muttered something unintelligible, then turned around and disappeared in the bushes. I let him go, hoping that I convinced him that his decisions had been wrong.

Padding back to the clearing, I searched for something to help the trapped cats. I spotted a long branch on the ground with claw marks on it, obviously used by the RiverClan cats to climb down. Pushing it with my paws until one end went over the edge, I made a sort of bridge that led down to the bottom of the trench.

Mistyfoot was the first to climb up, helped by Stormfur. She was very weak, but her eyes shone with determination. "Thanks, Brambleclaw," she meowed, touching her nose to mine.

Squirrelflight and Crowfeather came next, the ginger warrior stepping insecurely, seemingly exhausted. I walked over to her and she leaned against me for support as I covered her with gentle licks. "What did they do to you? Are you hurt?"

"They tried to drown me in the river..." Squirrelflight replied. "I never thought I would survive."

I grunted. "I told to Firestar this quest would be dangerous, but he..."

"Oh, will you just shut up," she whispered, closing her eyes and pressing her muzzle to mine.

Crowfeather pulled up the branch to prevent the four rogues from climbing up from the trench and following us once they came round. "We should get out from here before more cats turn up," he suggested. As to confirm his words, we heard Blackclaw's yowl in the distance, making us jump. Obviously, Stonestream or the tabby-white rogue who fled at the beginning of the battle brought some help. More cats joined in, the voices were approaching.

"Run away?" Stormfur growled. "There are six of us, and they lost several cats; we can teach them a lesson now and finish this once and for all."

The idea sounded tempting, but this was not the time for a fight, injured and weary as we were. "Crowfeather is right," I meowed, brushing my tail-tip against Stormfur's shoulder. "Look at us; we cannot risk another battle. We freed the prisoners and got rid of four rogues; that is enough for now. Let's hurry."

The cats murmured agreement and Stormfur helped Brook on her paws. "Mistyfoot, you should come with us as well," I continued. "ThunderClan can offer shelter until this is over. Mothwing is there too."

"Mothwing? That is great... we all thought she was dead." The deputy was thrilled and let out a soft purr. "All right, it seems I don't have much choice... I will come with you. This way – we can leave RiverClan territory behind and follow the outer Thunderpath until we reach the Horseplace in WindClan territory."

She took the lead and I admired her strength – not many cats would have been so agile and determined after all she went through. Stormfur and Brook padded close behind her, next came Squirrelflight and I, while Crowfeather brought up the rear.

We dashed through the sparse thickets and soon reached the Thunderpath, turning left to follow it. Monsters raced with ear-splitting noise, their shiny pelts glittering in the morning sunlight. Even if we kept a safe distance from the edge, small shivers ran through me as the gleaming creatures passed by, expecting them to leave the Thunderpath and launch themselves at us.

An angry wailing came from the distance – Blackclaw's group obviously reached the clearing and realized that their prisoners had escaped. We glanced back nervously from time to time, but no cat followed us. Either the RiverClan cats were afraid of our numbers, or they wanted to rescue the rogues from the pit first.

We pressed on, and soon we came to the river that flowed across the RiverClan grounds; the Thunderpath crossed it through a wide bridge. Mistyfoot stopped.

"We must go across this bridge, unless you want to venture into RiverClan territory to find a spot where we can cross the water safely," she remarked. The river was wide and fast here, flowing in a deep bed that made it nearly impossible to swim or wade across it even for RiverClan cats.

"We will take the bridge, then." It was equally dangerous: we had to walk on the Thunderpath itself until reaching the other bank. Stone parapets flanked both sides of the bridge, protecting the monsters from falling down, with wide gaps at equal distances through which we could see the churning water below.

The hard, dark grey surface scorched my pads as I stepped on it. Taking the lead, I padded forward in a fast pace, our pelts brushing the parapet on the left. A monster passed on the other side, the wind it stirred gently ruffling our pelts, and I sneezed from the stench it left in the air.

We were halfway through the bridge when a particularly large monster appeared ahead, coming towards us on our side of the bridge. I knew it would crush us if we did not take cover. "Quick!" I called to my companions. "Hide in the gaps under the parapet and wait for it to pass!"

As we scrambled for cover, a faint wail made me jump, and as I looked out on the other side of the gap, I saw a grey shape falling down from the bridge.

"Mistyfoot!" Crowfeather yowled. The exhausted deputy obviously slipped or lurched and lost her pawhold. After a heartbeat, we heard a splash as she fell into the fast-flowing water. "We must save her!" In her weakened state, it was unlikely that she could swim ashore on her own.

Stormfur jumped after her without hesitation. He landed in the river, then reappeared and started swimming with powerful strokes, both cats disappearing under the bridge.

The monster passed by in the meantime, its roar fading in the distance. I glanced around, then ran to the other side of the bridge and looked through a gap, the other warriors following me. The cats reappeared from under the bridge; Stormfur managed to get hold of Mistyfoot by her scruff, keeping her head over the surface. He struggled with the weight, but slowly got closer and closer to the shore.

"Stormfur, look out!" Squirrelflight suddenly yowled at the top of her voice. A sharp rock jutted out ahead, barely visible in the churning water. Before the two cats could react, Stormfur slammed heavily against it, and his body went limp. The two silver shapes were taken by the currents, bobbing lifelessly on the waves.

"Oh, great StarClan," I murmured as I started dashing towards the end of the bridge, the other three warriors after me, paying no attention to the monsters roaring by. Once we were off the Thunderpath, we followed the riverbank, hoping that the water would wash the two cats ashore, and that they were still alive. Thorny branches tore at my flesh and I almost slipped in the river a couple of times, but I did not slow down. Nevertheless, it was hopeless – the river got even wider, and the flow took the bodies farther and farther from us.

When I thought that all hope was lost, I spotted two dark feline shapes in the distance jumping into the water from a rock, swimming rapidly towards the two warriors. They caught them firmly by the scruff, and fighting against the flow, they managed to pull them ashore. I arrived just as they were climbing out from the water, my three companions on my heels.

Brook started massaging Stormfur; he stirred and coughed up some water. A bleeding wound was on his head, that he got when he smashed against the rock.

Convinced that the danger had passed, I stepped forward to greet the two rescuers. "You saved our friends. We are indebted to you."

Both of them were small, elderly, but strong and muscular toms, with dark grey fur and black tabby markings. Some loners living nearby, I guessed.

"I am glad that we could help, young one," one of them replied, giving a few quick licks to his wet fur. "The river can be quite dangerous here... especially for cats who cannot swim."

"You are wounded... each of you," the other loner observed. "What happened? Are you of those wild cats who live by the lake and always fight each other?"

"Yes, we are Clan cats," I answered. "We fought with another Clan to rescue some of our friends. We succeeded and got away, but two of us ended up in the river."

Squirrelflight joined me, brushing her pelt to mine as she sat down next to me. "Mistyfoot and Stormfur will recover, but they need to rest for some time before they can walk back to the camp."

"We all need some rest," I sighed, realizing how weary I was. "Is there some place where we can get shelter?"

The two loners looked at each other. "There is an old barn nearby, where we live." In the distance, I could see some Twoleg nests and farm buildings that reminded me of Barley's farm. "You can stay there if you wish, but don't expect us to hunt for you or look after you."

"Thanks," I dipped my head.

"It's all right, young one," the other loner grunted. We seldom meet any cats here... we appreciate the company. I am Shade, by the way, and this is my brother, Rumour." We introduced ourselves as well.

I helped Mistyfoot to her paws and supported her as we started walking slowly towards the farm. Brook tried to rouse Stormfur, but he was still unconscious; she and Crowfeather grabbed him carefully by the scruff to bring him along. An old wooden fence surrounded the structure, and we slipped through a large hole in it.

Once we were inside the barn, we made comfortable beddings of hay for the two warriors where they could rest. Brook lay down beside Stormfur, licking gently his wound and his soaked pelt, while Squirrelflight went to search for cobwebs. Shade and Rumour checked if everything was all right, then disappeared in the direction of the river, most likely to hunt or fish for themselves.

I padded outside and Crowfeather followed me into the open. "Do you think we can trust them?" he asked in a low voice, flicking his tail nervously in the direction of the two loners once they were out of earshot.

"Why not? You heard their opinion on the Clans; they cannot be in contact with any of them, so they won't bring any enemy on us."

"Still..." Crowfeather mused. That was so like him, always mistrusting and contradicting every cat. "Oh well, if you say so. What now?"

"I will remain here until Stormfur and Mistyfoot get better and can walk back to the camp. However, some cat must return to tell the Clans what happened, and that we are safe." It was already sunhigh, and I expected my Clanmates to be quite distressed by then, sending out patrols, maybe about to start fights. "I would like to ask _you_ to go and tell WindClan and ThunderClan that we are out of danger and will return soon."

"Tell _ThunderClan_?" Crowfeather snorted. "Am I your messenger, or what? Why don't _you_ and Squirrelflight go and tell them? Brook can watch over the two cats; and I guess your Clan needs you, so quit lazing about."

"I must stay here," I sighed. "I suspect that RiverClan will follow our scent trail sooner or later, and come to get revenge."

"Oh... you got a point," he meowed after some moments of hesitation. "All right, I'm on my way then. Take care."

The black feline shape soon disappeared behind a hill. I turned to see Squirrelflight return with a bunch of cobwebs, and enter the barn. She reappeared a while later to join me.

"Crowfeather left to tell the Clans what happened," I meowed, seeing her questioning stare. "So they will know we are safe, and won't send patrols or start battles."

Squirrelflight sighed. "I don't think a battle with RiverClan can be avoided. We will come to it sooner or later, if things do not change there."

At the back of my mind, I suspected the same thing, but I did not want to admit my fears even to myself. We were already at war with ShadowClan, and were not prepared to wage another at the same time. "Let's hope we won't."

She sensed my unease and licked my cheek comfortingly. "We should go hunting; I cannot smell any prey around here," she offered after a while. "And maybe gather some herbs."

"I just want to lie down and sleep for a quarter moon," I muttered, but eventually pulled myself together and followed the ginger warrior, padding through the hole in the fence, and leaving the farm and the nearby Twoleg nests behind.

We were not skilled in hunting in moorland, but persevered and returned to the barn carrying two rabbits, two voles and a small bundle of goldenrod. The two loners were back, lying on some logs next to the barn and sharing tongues. They looked up as we approached. "Hi, Brambleclaw," Rumour greeted me. "Nice catch. I can see that you and your mate are good hunters."

I stumbled a step. _My mate_. Even if we admitted our feelings for each other, and even if some of the Clan cats considered us mates, we had never talked about taking a decision that would unite us forever. Nevertheless, if there was a cat I wanted to unite my life with, and wanted to be the mother of my kits, it was Squirrelflight. _I must talk with her_.

Mistyfoot raised her head weakly, and accepted gratefully the rabbit I put down in front of her. Stormfur was still sleeping; I removed the cobwebs from his wound, and applied a poultice of goldenrod on it, as Mothwing taught me the other day.

"Will he recover?" Brook asked, eyeing her mate worriedly.

"I am sure he will, he is a strong cat," I replied, hoping that the firmness in my voice will give the others confidence. In reality, I could not be more worried about his condition, and I watched anxiously as his flank rose and fell with uneven, shallow breaths. _Stormfur_. He was one of my few true friends; not only the Great Journey brought us together, but we also had a bond since we were kits and Goldenflower nursed us both after Silverstream's death, growing up like littermates until RiverClan took him away. After many seasons, we were finally reunited in the same Clan – was it only to lose him again, this time, for good?

Curling up beside Squirrelflight in a dark corner, I slept restlessly until late afternoon. Getting up, I padded outside silently, careful to not wake the ginger warrior. Mistyfoot was already up, sunning herself on the logs together with the two loners, sharing some Clan story with them.

Slipping through the opening in the wooden fence, I looked around, scanning the surroundings. It was quiet and serene, there was no trace of RiverClan warriors, and my fears about them coming to find us gradually subsided. Maybe they lost our trail on the bridge... maybe they did not even try to follow us. Nevertheless, I knew that I could not let my guard down.

Wandering aimlessly, I made my way up a nearby hill from where I could survey the whole area. I saw the farm nearby, with sheep grazing in the fields, and several Twoleg nests farther away. In the distance, I saw the Thunderpath and the bridge from where we came, and could even make out the RiverClan territory and the lake. In the other direction, there were rolling plains and groves of trees. Yawning, I lay down in the grass, paws tucked under my chest, but my body remained tense – this wide open space made me uneasy; without the protection of the forest canopy, I felt exposed and vulnerable.

The rustle of the soft grass announced that a cat was coming, and the sweet scent drifting to my nose made my paws tingle. The next moment, Squirrelflight lay down next to me, twining her tail with mine.

"It is so nice and peaceful here," she remarked, taking in the scenery.

I agreed. "We hardly know anything about the lands surrounding the Clan territories. I wonder what are they like. I wonder where the river flows, for instance."

"To the sun-drown place, I guess." She started licking lovingly the shaggy fur on my shoulder, and I let out a satisfied purr.

"You did not tell me yet how did RiverClan capture you," I meowed after a while.

She rested her head on my neck, I felt her warm breath on my ear. "We decided to check their camp first. We climbed a tree from where we could observe the camp. Some rogues were approaching, and we thought there would be a battle, but they appeared to be on RiverClan's side. I crept forward to hear what they discussed, but a gust of wind made the branches sway, and I had to struggle to keep my balance. The cats heard the noise, and spotted us." The memory caused her to shiver. "We had no chance to escape."

I turned my head to nuzzle her flank comfortingly. "What happened next?"

"The cats – some RiverClan, some rogues – almost killed us. Stormfur was struck down, and they wanted to drown me in the water. When I came round, I was at the bottom of that pit. My lungs hurt like fire – they still do a little."

"Oh, Squirrelflight," I sighed, burying my muzzle in her fur. "I should not have let you walk into danger, no matter what Firestar said. It could have ended up much worse."

She tensed and pulled away, her gaze hardening. "Are you suggesting again that I can't take care of myself, and you are the only cat who can?"

I moved closer to her. "I never suggested that, but that does not stop me worrying about you. If we are to be together, there is nothing wrong about relying on each other."

She replied only after a long pause. "Well... I suppose so." He pressed her pelt to mine and I licked her ear affectionately.

I remembered what Rumour had said earlier that day. "Squirrelflight..." I began, and she turned her head to look into my eyes. "I love you... and I want you to be my mate."

A soft purr rumbled deep in her chest as she touched her nose to mine. "Brambleclaw... there is no other cat I want to spend my life with. I want to be with you... forever."

"Forever," I echoed, lost in the depths of her brilliant green eyes.

* * *

Stormfur woke up the next day at sunhigh, causing my anxiety to vanish like tendrils of smoke in a light breeze. When afternoon came, both he and Mistyfoot were strong enough to attempt the journey to the ThunderClan camp.

"See that grove of trees?" Shade pointed in the distance. "Keep in that direction, that is the shortest way to the Thunderpath. Follow it until you see a smaller Thunderpath joining it on the left. The horseplace is already visible from there."

We thanked the two loners for their hospitality and I dipped my head in farewell. The journey was uneventful, and by sunset, we reached the camp and entered the stone hollow. Cats poured forwards from the dens to greet us.

"What happened? Where you have been? Who did you fight?" Once Firestar was there to listen to us, I told a short version of our adventures. The Clan listened intently, nervousness glinting in the eyes shining in the darkness. Once I finished, every cat started meowing. Most of them suggested to attack RiverClan, while others were more reserved, fearing that the recent events will lead to problems we cannot cope with.

"And what is the RiverClan cat doing here?" Mousefur demanded. "Is this turning into a refugee camp?"

Cats started arguing again, but I did not pay attention. I followed Firestar to his den, and made a detailed report about what was happening in RiverClan, including them recruiting rogues and preparing for a battle.

"These are bad news indeed," the leader sighed as he lay down on his bedding of soft moss and bracken, his tail twitching slightly. "We will see what we are facing tomorrow evening, at the Gathering."

I turned to leave. "I will guard the camp this night." I pretty much rested all day, sharing tongues with Squirrelflight and listening to stories told by Shade and Rumour.

So there I was, watching over the sleeping camp in the night, melting into the shadows cast by the rock walls as I padded around the clearing with noiseless pawsteps, then pressing through the thorn tunnel to sit down by the entrance. The sky was clear and the moon was full, bathing everything in a cold light.

Dawn came at last, and I returned to the camp, raising the warriors to send out the dawn patrols. There was still some tension among the cats, discussing about what happened in RiverClan, but Firestar calmed them, telling that we should wait until the Gathering before deciding what to do. Once everything was in order, I lay down in the empty warriors' den to have some rest after the watch. Sleep took me in an instant.

When I opened my eyes, darkness was surrounding me, and I sat up with a jolt. _Is it night already? I missed the Gathering!_ Then I realized that I was not in the warriors' den, but in a damp clearing in a dead forest, lit by sickly glowing fungus.

"Nice to see you here again," a gleeful voice rumbled, and as I turned, I saw Tigerstar padding up to me, flanked by Hawkfrost.

My voice was a fierce hiss "What do you want? I told you already that I never wanted to see this place again."

"I can assure you that you will never see place again," Hawkfrost replied. "We brought you here to kill you."

"The last time you were here, I told that I had uses for you, as the only cat from the waking world whom I could contact," Tigerstar added. "That changed in the meantime. We started to learn how to walk in the dreams of other cats, and we do not need you anymore. However, we cannot let you live – it is too dangerous. You are the only cat who could stop us, if you become a Starwalker, and we cannot allow that." He took a step forward, unsheathing his claws. "You will die, and even your spirit will be vanquished, unable to join StarClan, doomed forever."

"Let me do this myself," Hawkfrost begged his father. "I have some unfinished business with him."

The massive tabby pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right." He climbed up on the large rock in the centre of the clearing, watching us intently. Ice cold claws clenched my heart. Spirits could not be harmed, let alone killed, and there was nowhere to run. However, I decided that I would not go down without a fight.

Hawkfrost leaped at me, and soon we were locked in a fierce battle of life and death, paws lashing out, claws tearing into flesh. Even if our strength and skills were on the same level, it was an uneven fight. I was soon starting to be exhausted, my injuries stinging and my body protesting, while he still seemed fresh and rested.

I fell to the ground, and the other cat reared up to strike down on me. Gathering my strength, I leaped at him before he could reach me, raking my claws across his belly. He let out a shriek, retreating. _He is not invincible_.

I charged with renewed strength, letting out a fierce yowl. Fear flashed in Hawkfrost's eyes and he stumbled back a step. I barrelled into him; the force sending the other cat crashing headfirst against the large rock. He fell and remained motionless.

_I won_. Barely alive, I lay down and closed my eyes, expecting the dream to end. _I escaped_.

"Weakling," a voice rasped, suddenly reminding me that the battle was not over. Tigerstar leaped down gracefully from the rock, intent on finishing the job Hawkfrost failed at.

I got to my paws and dodged his first attack, then tried to score my claws down her muzzle, but I stood no chance against him. I defended myself and tried to reach the edge of the clearing, hoping that I could escape the dream once reaching it, but Tigerstar guessed my intentions and did not let me get away.

A strong blow sent me flying, and I smashed against a tree trunk, the impact causing my body to go numb. I collapsed, unable to move, darkness slowly engulfing me.

Tigerstar walked up to me lazily, his cold stare fixed on me. Hawkfrost joined him, ice blue eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Can I finish him?"

"You already had your chance. _Twice._" Tigerstar grunted. "Stay back."

He raised his paw to give me the final blow.

* * *

_Note: Passed 1000 hits; many thanks to everyone who read and commented this story. Sorry for making you wait, but I prefer to write longer chapters... this was the longest so far, and the story length is now close to 200 printed pages. I do not know when the next update comes... depends on the number of reviews ;)_


	12. Chapter 10: The Guardian

**Chapter 10  
**_The Guardian_

The blow never came.

Through blurry vision, I saw the shape of a large reddish-brown tom with proud stature darting forward from the trees and crashing into my attacker. Taken by complete surprise, Tigerstar fell to the ground and could make no move to defend himself as the large cat raked his claws across him.

Fear and hatred burnt in Tigerstar's eyes. "It's _you_! How you dare to come here and interfere?"

"It's you who shouldn't have interfered in the life of the living cats," the cat replied coolly. "You will face the consequences soon."

Tigerstar got to his paws and retreated with faltering steps. "You will never be able to defeat me," he spat. He leaped at the other cat, but after a short and fierce fight, he fell to the muddy ground, making no move to get up. Hawkfrost ran over to him, trying to help his father.

The reddish-brown cat left them alone and came over to me. As he touched his nose to my cheek, I felt a rush of energy surging through me, taking away some of the pain and exhaustion. I looked up, and stared into luminous green eyes, a thousand stars shining in them. I recognized him instantly – he was the spirit cat who helped me several times before, in times of indecision and danger.

"Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

"I am your guardian," the cat replied. "As for why do I help you... it is partially my fault that things are the way they are now, and I decided to do what I can to right them." He helped me to my paws. "We must leave this place as soon as we can. I know a way out from here."

I glanced at the two other cats. "Shouldn't we finish them now, and put an end to all this?"

He shook his head. "Remember that they are spirits, and can not be vanquished. We will find a way to stop them, but first, we must get out of here."

I followed him through the dark forest, running on damp ground and dead leaves, jumping over gnarled roots. He seemed to find his way easily – I never thought any cat could do that in this place.

"Are you from the Dark Forest?" He was a spirit, but did not have stars glittering in his fur like StarClan cats do.

He let out a snort of laughter. "Do I appear to you as some doomed and exiled soul?"

Pressing through dense thickets, I saw an impenetrable wall of mist ahead. "Here we are; this is the border of the Dark Forest. Once we pass through it, you will wake up, and I will be back in the spirit realm I belong to." He gave me a quick lick behind the ear. "I am proud of you. Remember, your quest will start soon."

The dark, swirling mist surrounded me, and everything went black.

* * *

"Brambleclaw, wake up! What is the matter? Wake up!"

I opened my eyes with a groan to find myself in the warriors' den, surrounded by Squirrelflight, Leafpool and Rainwhisker. "Just a dream," I murmured, seeing the anxiety in their eyes.

"It must have been a very frightening one," Rainwhisker remarked. Convinced that I was all right, he silently left the den and disappeared in the direction of the camp entrance.

Squirrelflight gave me a cold stare. "You keep having bad dreams since we moved to the lake, but never tell me about them, although you already promised you would."

I looked at the two she-cats. There was sympathy in Leafpool's eyes; obviously, she knew what this was about. As for Squirrelflight – I knew that I could not keep secrets from my mate, especially a secret this important. But would she still trust and accept me after learning about my connection to the Dark Forest?

I glanced around; there were several warriors in the den, just returned from the dawn patrol. "We cannot talk here," I meowed in a low voice. "Come."

Slipping out from under the thorn bush, we went first to the medicine cat's den where Leafpool gave me some poppy seeds and thyme. Stormfur lay on a mossy bedding in one corner, a fresh bundle of cobwebs on his head. Mistyfoot and Sandstorm have already left the den, and were sharing tongues in the clearing.

Poking my head in the nursery to check on Blazekit, a rush of unease surged through me as I could not see the small light brown tabby shape anywhere. Sorreltail raised her head sleepily, sensing someone entering. Her kits were playing with each other and running around the nursery – at more than one moon old, their steps and movements were more and more secure.

"Blazekit?" Daisy meowed. "He is in the elders' den; he enjoys the stories they tell him, and they like him a lot. He gets along well even with Mousefur."

Leaving the warm scents of the nursery behind, I stopped by the elders' den to take a look. Indeed, Blazekit was lying on the sandy floor of the cave, listening to a story Goldenflower was telling him, eyes round and tail quivering. I silently padded on, without disturbing them. Convinced that everything was all right in the camp, I turned in the direction of the thorn tunnel, with Squirrelflight on my side.

The branches rustled, and Firestar emerged from the tunnel, returning from the dawn patrol, followed by Whitewing, Ashfur and Birchpaw. "Hi, Brambleclaw," the leader greeted me. "Are you going hunting? You look like you fought with a horde of badgers. What happened?"

"Nothing... I had a restless sleep," I murmured. He nodded and walked on.

Once we were out of the camp, Squirrelflight turned to me. "Where now?"

"Race you to the Ancient Oak!" I flicked my tail across her ear, and took off. She let out an indignant meow and dashed after me. We raced through the morning forest, pressing through thickets, jumping over roots, the undergrowth stroking and tearing at our pelts. I ran as fast as I could, but the ginger menace slowly caught up – she was a fast runner, a trait she obviously inherited from her mother Sandstorm. Overtaking me, she was the first to reach the old oak tree, watching me amusedly as I arrived, panting and with my tail drooping.

I climbed into the dark burrow beneath the twisting roots, and Squirrelflight followed me. The place brought back memories – this was where we sheltered from the cold leaf-bare rain some moons ago when we explored the territories for the first time. Even if I saw the oak almost daily on my patrols, I never entered the burrow since that day.

Exhausted after the race, I rolled on my back, trying to shake the weariness out of my paws. Squirrelflight crouched and started grooming my pelt, drawing her tongue gently over the healing wound on my chest. Her belly fur fleetingly brushed to mine, the feeling sending a jolt through my body.

"So... what was that secret dream you wanted no cat to hear about?"

I hesitated, rolling back on my belly, tearing my gaze away from hers, and stared at the opening through which I could see the clear blue sky. She lay down next to me, nosing my ear encouragingly. _How much should I tell her?_ If I told her how I conspired with Tigerstar to take over the Clans, she would probably leave me. On the other hand, things would not turn out much better if I withheld the truth – she would have sensed it, and we already agreed that we would not keep any secrets from each other.

Sighing, I began to tell the story about my adventures in the Dark Forest, from the very beginning – how did Tigerstar first appeared in my dreams right after we settled down by the lake, how did I accept his training in order to become a better warrior, how did I get more and more involved in his plan of revenge, how did I finally turn against him, and how does he menace my every pawstep since, lurking in the shadowy corners of my dreams, and slowly gaining influence over the waking world.

I dared to glance at Squirrelflight only after finishing the story, and I saw her eyes clouded with tears. _This is the end,_ I thought, flattening my ears involuntarily. _She will leave me now... maybe even kill me because what I planned against her father_.

However, it was nothing like that. Instead of getting up and storming away, she moved closer to me, pressing her warm fur against mine. "Oh, Brambleclaw," she breathed. "You always try to do the best for the Clan, and it's only hardships you must face. Now an entire spirit realm is out to kill you. Why does StarClan give you so much unhappiness?"

"They do not," I replied, twining my tail with hers. "When you are with me, I am the happiest cat in all Clans. And I will fight the Dark Forest until my last breath. I will not allow them to take over the waking world that easily."

"And I will stay by your side," she purred, rubbing her head lovingly against my shoulder.

I turned my head to look into her eyes. "Squirrelflight... do you still trust me?" After hearing my story, she had every reason not to.

"I do, Brambleclaw. I trust you with my life."

I wrapped myself around her protectively, closing my eyes as I breathed in her scent.

Sleepiness slowly started to wash over me, a velvety darkness filled with warmth and my mate's scent. _No! I cannot sleep! Tigerstar will seek me out in my dream to finish what he attempted!_ But I could not keep my eyes open – the night watch and the fight in the Dark Forest made me weary, and Leafpool's poppy seeds also started to have their effect. I fell asleep.

However, the Dark Forest was silent this time. All I saw were swirling images of Squirrelflight and me running across lush greenleaf fields and shadowy forests, making our way through Twolegplaces, watching a white streak in the sky... The dream was familiar. _Me and Squirrelflight on a journey? On the quest I was supposed to undertake?_

A loud voice made the images disappear. "What are you doing here?"

I opened my eyes in alarm to see Firestar's shape looming in the entrance, green eyes sparkling with indignation. "I thought you went hunting! Does the deputy and his mate have nothing better to do than lying around all day while the other cats work hard for the Clan?"

I scrambled to my paws, my head scraping against the roots above, but before I could reply, Squirrelflight broke in, stepping forward. "He _does_ work hard for the Clan. He was involved in more battles in the recent days than other cats in a moon's time. Cannot he rest for a short while without you treating him like some lazy apprentice?"

"I am sure he can speak for himself," the leader dismissed her. "Well?"

I dipped my head, not wanting to worsen the situation with excuses. "I am sorry, Firestar. It will not happen again."

"So be it," he grunted. We slipped out of the dark burrow, shaking damp earth from our coats. "Listen, you two," he continued, his gaze softening a bit. "I am happy to see you enjoy each other's company, but that must not interfere with your duties to the Clan." We murmured agreement. "All right then, get back to the camp and hunt on the way back. Brambleclaw, I trust you to organize the sunhigh patrols. You will both come to the Gathering this evening, so try to stay out of trouble."

I raised my head proudly. This was be the first Gathering where I would participate as deputy of ThunderClan.

"Well, I cannot imagine Brambleclaw staying out of trouble" Squirrelflight mused. "Anyway, do you think that a warrior who sleeps around all day deserves to go to a Gathering?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snarled, lashing out with a paw to cuff her ear. She dodged my attack easily and started running towards the camp. I dashed after her. "Get back here!" In the distance, I could hear Firestar's exasperated sigh.

I darted through the undergrowth as if I were running for my life. The short rest gave me renewed energy, and I decided that I would not lose to her this time, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get closer to Squirrelflight racing a foxlength ahead of me. However, when she glanced back over her shoulder to see where I was, she stumbled in a root, and I crashed into her. We tumbled over, and she smashed against the trunk of a beech tree, falling to the ground and remaining motionless, sprawled on her back.

"Squirrelflight!" I pressed my nose in her warm ginger fur, and found out that she was not breathing. "Squirrelflight, wake up!" Crouching over her, I started rasping my tongue vigorously over her body, hoping that she will come around, but time passed and I still could not detect any sign of life. Fear choked me, fangs of ice tearing at my throat. _Squirrelflight, do not leave me!_

Finally, the ginger warrior twitched and let out an amused purr. _She was playing with me all this time!_ I tensed. "Do you think that was funny?" I hissed at her. "You scared me out of my fur!"

She raised her forepaws to stroke my shoulders with her soft pads, embracing me. "You were so sweet." I sighed and lowered my head to press my nose against hers. "Brambleclaw... what will you do now?" she asked as she got to her paws, anxiety replacing mischief in her brilliant green eyes.

"About the Dark Forest, you mean?" I shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. Tigerstar can take me there whenever he wants, yet I cannot defeat a spirit. I will never give up though."

"Whenever he wants?" Squirrelflight wondered. "He only contacted you twice since what happened by the lake. Maybe he cannot always reach you. Even if you cannot defeat him, you could stop him visiting you until you or the ancestors figure out something."

"But how?" I could not imagine a way to stop that – besides staying awake until I died.

She gazed in the distance, lost in thoughts. "I know! The poppy seeds!" she exclaimed finally. I stared at her, and she explained. "Whenever you ate some, you didn't have dreams about the Dark Forest. Am I right?"

Now that I thought about it, she was indeed right. And it made sense – the seeds were used to calm and numb the mind, possibly blocking it from the influences of the spirit world. I gave her an affectionate lick behind the ear, a warm wave of gratitude washing over me. Squirrelflight always had the best ideas, like how to disable the fox traps, how to free a cat trapped into one, or how to get rid of Sharptooth – and now this. She was a very smart cat.

"Yes, I believe so," I replied. "But that will likely cut me off from StarClan as well. What if they wish to send a message – or tried already to do so?"

Squirrelflight shrugged. "They can send it through Leafpool. Or Firestar, or some other cat."

"That's right," I agreed. "We should get going. Firestar is already mad enough at us, discovering us sleeping."

"Discovering _you_," Squirrelflight meowed. "I was not sleeping."

I stared at her in surprise. "Why didn't you wake me up then?"

"Well..." She stared at her paws. "You were tired, and... it was so peaceful to rest beside you... I wanted it to last forever."

I touched my nose to her ear, feeling its warmth, and she pressed closer to me. We stood beside each other for long moments, not needing words to express our feelings. Then, I heard the soft rustle in the undergrowth as some small animal scurried by, and Squirrelflight dropped in the hunter's crouch to creep noiselessly towards the faint sound.

* * *

There was not much to report to Firestar after the sunhigh patrol – all was in order along the WindClan border – but Dustpelt, who checked the other part of the territory, brought some concerning news. It was not about ShadowClan activity, though, but about Twolegs. "In addition to setting up their green pelts, they are building a small hill of branches in the middle of the clearing," the grey warrior reported. Wondering what were they up to – Twolegs usually meant trouble – I decided that I would take a look myself, later that day. _Branches – will they start a fire? Will they scare away our prey?_

Weather was hot and moist – a heat before the storm, although I could not spot any clouds yet on the clear blue sky. Most cats retired to their dens at this time of the day to take a short nap, but I was not sleepy and wandered aimlessly for some time around the clearing, wondering if I should go hunting, check out the Twolegs, or stay to guard the camp.

As I passed the large bush that gave home to the nursery, Blazekit appeared in the entrance and bounded forward to join me with tail held high, brushing his soft fur against my foreleg. "Are you going somewhere? Every cat is sleeping; there is not much to do."

"I'm not going anywhere right now. I may go on a patrol later, though," I replied. We climbed on a rock near the Highledge, a spot where the elders preferred to sun themselves.

"Goldenflower is a great cat," he remarked as he lay down on the warm stone. "She told me many stories about the Clan. I heard about the BloodClan battle – is it true that you fought against your father?"

"It is," I sighed. "He was a good warrior, but became too ambitious, and wanted to rule over all four Clans. I was an apprentice then; it was about nine or ten seasons ago."

"Did you fight in many battles?" Blazekit asked.

I thought about all I went through in the last moons. "More than most other cats, I believe. We need to protect our hunting grounds, our Clanmates, our honour. But Clan life is not only about battles. It is also about friendship, learning, love... about missions given to us by StarClan, like the Great Journey..."

"The Great Journey! I heard cats mentioning it, but when I asked the elders, they told me to ask _you_ about it, as you were one of those who went. So, what was it?"

I told him about the old forest we lived in; how did I receive a message from StarClan to go and look for a new place to live, how did the six of us travel to the sun-drown place, what Midnight told us, how we met the Tribe on the way back, and how did I return to ThunderClan together with Squirrelflight, telling them Midnight's words.

"Squirrelflight... she is your mate, right?" I nodded. "Do you have kits?"

A wave of warmth spread through me. _Our kits_. I shook my head. "No, not yet."

I heard the rustle of branches, and looking sideways, I saw Daisy peeking out the entrance of the nursery, seemingly relieved as she saw Blazekit. "I think you should go back to the nursery," I told him.

The kit scrambled down from the rock and ran away in the direction of the bramble bush. The camp slowly revived; cats emerging from the dens, stretching their muscles luxuriously after their sunhigh nap. I spotted Goldenflower exiting the elders' den, and I padded over to meet her.

"I am going for a short walk in the forest," she announced as we touched noses. "Now that greenleaf is close, my joints do not bother me anymore, and my muscles are stiff from staying all day in that cave." Even though she was old, she was still strong and agile, her warrior days only a few seasons behind.

"I am coming along." With RiverClan also menacing us besides ShadowClan, I was more worried about the safety of my Clanmates than ever, especially about my mother's.

We left the camp and padded in a quick pace; I started running and she kept up effortlessly. We arrived to a sandy beach near the lake, close to the WindClan border, and lay down on the hot sand after making sure that no enemies were nearby. The heat of the sun seeped into our pelts, and I drew in my mother's scent, reminding me of the days of my kithood, when she was there to protect me from everything and every cat. Now it was my turn – to protect the entire Clan.

"This is a nice place," she meowed after long moments. "Although I still miss the old forest… especially Sunningrocks."

"I miss it too," I agreed. I still missed it so much that it hurt – the forest where I grew up, where each and every tree and stone had its own story, where we fought for the survival of the Clans. "I will always do. I think I will never get used to the new territory."

She rasped her tongue over my ear comfortingly, then started grooming my ragged pelt with vigorous licks. "Did some cats attack you on the patrol? You appear as if you fought."

I shook my head. "No... I fought in my dreams." I decided that Goldenflower would be one of the few cats I trusted with my story, and I told her about my recent adventures in the Dark Forest.

"I never heard about this Dark Forest, although its existence is logical," she replied after I finished my story. "But if some cat did the things you mentioned, it would be Tigerstar. I do not know if you are a match for him on your own, but StarClan will be on your side."

"The cat in my dream, helping me... the one with reddish pelt and green eyes... who could that be? It seemed that Tigerstar knew him, and disliked him."

"That must have been Pinestar, his father," Goldenflower answered.

_My grandfather_. "I never heard much about him," I murmured. "All I know is that he left the Clan to live as a kittypet."

"Yes indeed, though I am not sure why. Most cats agreed he was too soft for Clan life, but some said that he had some dangerous legacy that made StarClan not to trust him, and he left so he could join another spirit realm after his death. But I guess these are just some elders' tales."

"He also told me that he was my guardian," I remarked, remembering what did he reply when I asked him who he was.

"Is that so?" Goldenflower sounded surprised. "Then maybe it is not a tale after all. The Guardians are the ancestors of some cats living far away from here, or so White-eye told me when I was an apprentice. I do not know more about them though."

_Should I go searching for those cats?_ I wondered. _Or should I wait until Pinestar seeks me out again? Will he able to do so, if I block my dreams from the spirits as Squirrelflight suggested? _We lay beside each other in silence for a long time, as I contemplated what I had learned.

"Tigerstar... how was he when he lived in ThunderClan?" I asked finally. I knew him only as the cat killing many warriors and wanting to wipe out entire Clans to have his revenge, but I wanted to learn more about my father, whom I now had to fight. Was he different in the old days – a noble and selfless warrior, capturing the heart of some cat as kind as gentle as my mother?

"He was the best warrior in ThunderClan," Goldenflower replied, staring in the distance. "Strong, brave and loyal. But in the last seasons of his life, he became too ambitious, believing he was the only cat fit to be leader. It became an obsession, and soon the Clan was in danger." She sighed, her amber eyes clouded with tears. "And now, it seems he wants to destroy everything, just to have this revenge."

It was my turn to comfort him, grooming her neck fur gently. "StarClan will not allow that. _I_ will not allow that." She closed her eyes, and appeared to be sleeping.

The sun slowly made its way towards the horizon, reminding me of the passing of the time. Finally, Goldenflower got to her paws and shook the sand out of her coat. "It is time we got back to the camp. I imagine that a deputy has better things to do than watching over lazy elders," she purred as I got up. We started out in the direction of the stone hollow, and I caught a thrush, sharing it with her.

"I miss my warrior days," she sighed, swiping her tongue absently across her jaw. "I wish I could still hunt and fight for the Clan, instead of lying in a dark cave, getting weaker by the day, waiting to join StarClan."

"You did a great service to the Clan, and you still do," I replied, staring at the fragile bones and dark feathers on the ground. "Every cat honours you, and will remember your deeds." _I do not want you to join StarClan yet_.

As we approached the camp, stepping silently on the soft forest floor, we met Thornclaw, Mothwing and Squirrelflight. "Hi, Brambleclaw... Goldenflower," the medicine cat greeted us when they were within earshot.

"We are just leaving for a patrol; Leafpool needs more herbs, and I decided to help Mothwing in her task," Squirrelflight announced. "Care to join us?" It warmed my heart to see Squirrelflight finally getting along well with my sister, after her initial hostility and jealousy.

"Why don't you go and help them," Goldenflower suggested, butting me with her nose. "I can find my way back on my own." She disappeared between the trees.

I turned to the other three cats. "Herbs? Is every cat all right?"

"Sure," Mothwing answered, "but we need a stock of goldenrod, chervil and catmint."

"Stormfur already left Leafpool's den," Squirrelflight meowed. "And Sandstorm has almost fully recovered; she has recently left on a hunting patrol, together with Firestar and Cloudtail."

We made our way through the lush forest with Mothwing and Thornclaw in the lead. The medicine cat stopped from time to time to gather plants, ripping off the stems with firm movements, while briefly explaining to us what it was and how was it used. I could see that my sister was a great medicine cat, and even if she did not believe in the ancestors, she could help her Clan in various ways with her vast knowledge.

We arrived at the abandoned Twoleg nest. The tendrils embracing it were full with green leaves and purple flowers, making it look as if it was a part of nature, much less frightening and unwelcoming than it was in leaf-bare. Nevertheless, it was still looming ominously over the clearing, the trees casting long shadows over it in the late afternoon. Squirrelflight pressed herself closer to me, a small shiver running through her body.

Mothwing entered the garden and made her way through the dense weeds to a patch of catmint. I followed her to help – she taught me quite a few things during our patrols in the last days, and I already had a basic knowledge about harvesting herbs. The powerful scent of the plant overwhelmed us, making me light-headed.

Crouching, I tried to bite through a thick stem when Thornclaw's yowl made us jump. "Look out!" A large shape emerged from behind the abandoned nest and leaped on Mothwing, sharp teeth aiming at her throat. _A fox! The scent of the herbs masked its stench!_ It grabbed the medicine cat by her scruff, shaking her violently. I rushed to help my sister and raked my claws across the creature's muzzle, making it release its prey to turn against me. Mothwing fell to the ground with a thud, but got to her paws to rejoin the battle. The next moment, Thornclaw and Squirrelflight arrived as well, claws and teeth sinking into reddish fur. The fox fought violently, dealing blows and scratches, but it did not stand a chance against four fierce cats. It turned around, jumped over the low fence and vanished in the undergrowth.

"Is every cat all right?" I panted. My heart was beating as if it would burst, rather from anxiety than from exertion. Mothwing had a couple of scratches on her neck and shoulder, and Thornclaw cleaned her wounds while I entered the Twoleg nest to fetch some cobwebs.

"I suppose so," Squirrelflight answered. "But we should follow the fox to see if it left the territory."

"Right," I agreed. "Me and you will follow it; Mothwing, Thornclaw, you should return to the camp with the herbs."

The two golden cats nodded, gathering the bundles of plants from the ground and leaving the clearing, waving their tails in farewell. I started running in the other direction, following the fox's trail, with my mate on my side. Soon, we reached the edge of the territory.

"All right, I guess we saw the last of it," I concluded, halting in my tracks.

"Yeah, it seems so," Squirrelflight agreed, rasping her tongue across a scratch on my flank I got in the recent fight with the creature. "Although I would be happier if it fell in one of those fox traps the Twolegs set up nearby. What is their use if only cats get caught in them?"

My whiskers twitched with embarrassment as I remembered Firestar caught in a trap, and me hesitating if I should release him or not.

"Let's get back to the camp," the she-cat suggested. "Soon it will be time for you to send out the sunset patrols."

"I want to check out the clearing by the ShadowClan border first," I meowed, remembering Dustpelt's recent report about the Twoleg activity. "It is only a short distance from here."

As we approached it, uneasiness started to mount in me as I heard the distant sound of crackling and sensed the faint smell of smoke. We burst out from the undergrowth, and the most terrifying sight unfolded before my eyes: tall yellow flames devouring wood, reaching up to the sky. _The forest... our homes... destroyed..._ The vision of the raging fire forced me to remember the fateful night when I was trapped on a burning tree as a kit, the flames getting closer and closer. The ground slipped out from under my paws, and darkness engulfed me.

I floated in the dark void for ages, until I finally heard a faint voice coming from a great distance. "Brambleclaw!" It got closer, and I felt a paw poking my flank. "Brambleclaw, wake up!"

I managed to open my eyes, and I saw Squirrelflight's face barely a mouselength from mine, the light of the flames reflected in her eyes. "Are you all right? You collapsed and I could not wake you up."

"The fire..." I glanced at the clearing again, where dark shapes moved in front of the dancing flames. "The forest is burning! It is the end for the Clan!"

She landed a light blow on my head with her forepaw. "Stupid furball! It is only a small fire in the middle of the clearing. The forest is not in danger. Even Twolegs are not _so_ mousebrained to kill themselves."

As I looked at it again, I could see that it was a safe distance from the trees and the undergrowth, and surrounded by stones, but that did not reassure me. Anything could happen – a strong gust of wind, a flying spark, and the disaster is done.

"It's how Twolegs have fun," Squirrelflight continued. "They sit around a fire, yowl, and burn meat. Daisy told me some time ago."

I slowly sat up, my paws still shaking. The she-cat started to rasp her tongue over my cheek encouragingly. "Are you this afraid of fire? You passed out the moment you saw it. Is it because... the fire in the old forest?

"Yes," I sighed. Memories came rushing back, memories that I pushed in the back of my mind a long time ago. "A fire struck the old forest when I was a kit. It reached the camp, and I climbed on a tree to escape, but it started burning, and I had nowhere to run. I thought I would die for sure, but Firestar saved me. We got away, but I will never forget those flames reaching for me, and the skies that were red all night."

She leaned against me and continued to groom my fur with tender licks, her presence giving me comfort and strength. "We should get back to the camp," I meowed eventually. "I will make sure that patrols keep an eye on this clearing." I got to my paws and started padding in the direction of the camp.

At our fast pace, we were soon approaching the stone hollow. As we passed the dead oak that stood close to the camp, I looked up to the darkening sky that was clearly visible among the leafless branches of the tree, and I saw a most interesting sight – a bright star moving across the sky, its edge flashing faintly.

Squirrelflight followed my gaze. "What is that?" The star was slowly reaching the edge of the opening in the dense foliage, making its way slowly forward. "An omen?"

"I will take a look from above. Stay here!" I started climbing the dead tree, getting higher and higher, then settling on a long branch from where I could still see the star. It was less bright now, and it had a reddish tinge on one side, a greenish one on the other.

I heard the scraping of claws, and I saw Squirrelflight climbing out on another branch, a tail-length above me. "What are you doing here?" I snapped. "I told you to stay on the ground."

"Why would I need your permission to climb a tree?" she grunted, fluffing out her fur. "I bet you were afraid that I would fall and hurt myself."

"Well..." I muttered. That was exactly what I feared – the dry-rotten branches of the dead tree were unsafe for climbing.

She lashed out with a paw to cuff my ear. "Will you stop treating me as a... oh!" She unbalanced and landed on top of me.

The branch could not support the two of us. It snapped with a dry crack, and we plummeted towards the ground.

* * *

_Note: There were too many battles lately, so I wrote a chapter of fluff (yeah, I know that some parts turned out a bit awkward), maybe it will make the story more popular. :)  
_


	13. Chapter 11: Gathering Storm

**Chapter 11  
**_Gathering Storm_

The scraggy branches tore in our fur and flesh, but they also slowed down our plunge. Searing pain flashed through my body, radiating from my hind leg as I hit the ground, and my vision darkened – but I was alive! Squirrelflight landed on top of me, making me let out another groan of pain. The branch itself landed a couple of tail-lengths from us, its plunge slowed down by the canopy. Small twigs and pieces of bark continued raining down.

Cats were crashing through the undergrowth, and three dim shapes emerged in front of us. I recognized them rather by scent than by sight – it was the hunting patrol formed by Firestar, Sandstorm and Cloudtail.

"What in the name of StarClan is happening?" Firestar demanded, dropping the fresh-kill he was carrying in his mouth and taking a couple steps forward on shaking legs. "Did someone attack you?" All three warriors scanned the foliage with alarm, as if they expected more cats to rain down from above.

"We are just returning from a patrol," I replied matter-of-factly through gritted teeth. "We checked the clearing by..."

"I mean, what happened right now?" Firestar interrupted me.

"We were falling down from a tree," Squirrelflight explained in an innocent voice. She slid down from my back and started to clean her ragged pelt with thorough licks, while resting her tail-tip on my flank. Cloudtail looked amused, while Sandstorm still eyed the canopy uneasily.

Firestar got angrier. "Yes, and what were you doing up there? Didn't your mentors tell you about the basics of how to avoid getting killed?" His hackles raised. "Well?"

"We saw a strange star moving across the sky and I climbed the tree to get a better view, and see where it was heading. I think it was an important omen."

"So important that you must kill yourself in the process," the leader grunted. "We already have enough problems, so I do not need cats hurting themselves because of their carelessness. Especially you, Brambleclaw. I am used to Squirrelflight being as irresponsible as a kit, but a deputy should know better."

Squirrelflight sprang to her paws, looking ready to flatten Firestar. "What do you mean by me being irresponsible as a kit?" Their faces were barely a pawstep apart. I could not help but notice the striking similarity between father and daughter – the same stature, the same strong, muscular bodies, the same blazing deep green eyes, the same fierceness. At six seasons old, Squirrelflight was finally full-grown and almost as large as her father – with her fluffed-out fur, she looked even larger.

Firestar sighed. "I meant exactly that. You cannot imagine how frightened we were, seeing the two of you falling down from that height; I thought you would break your neck. You scared me out of my fur." He stepped forward to give a couple of licks behind her daughter's ear. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not," Squirrelflight grunted defiantly, rolling on her back. "I broke my neck."

Cloudtail came over to me and helped me to my paws. My leg was still hurting, but I could stand on it easily; it seemed that nothing was broken. Firestar motioned to us impatiently with his tail, and we followed him in single file through the shadowy forest, filled with heavy scents and the evening song of birds. I wondered if the leader was mad at me, and felt a bit ashamed as I _did_ behave irresponsibly lately; but I did not have much time to dwell on it, as we reached the stone hollow, and I padded off slowly to the warriors' den to assemble the sunset patrols.

* * *

A cold wind rippled the surface of the lake, shattering the reflecting moonlight into glittering pieces. Firestar was leading the group; there were seven of us going to the Gathering. Besides Firestar and me, Dustpelt, Spiderleg, Rainwhisker, Ashfur and Birchpaw were selected to come.

The apprentice was jumping around happily; this was the first opportunity for him to participate. I was also looking forward to it – my first Gathering as a deputy. Finally, the Clans would see that ThunderClan was strong, recovered after losing of their previous deputy. And, of course, I was looking forward to hear what the other Clans were planning, and how would RiverClan explain the behaviour of their warriors.

We padded through the tree bridge and saw the shapes of many cats in the clearing, luminous eyes gleaming in the soft darkness of the night. RiverClan and WindClan were already there, and I was worried when I saw three of Blackclaw's rogues standing in the shadows at one side of the clearing, some cats talking with them, others keeping their distance and eyeing them with disgust. It seemed they had been accepted as Clan warriors. Our eyes met and they looked ready to jump on me, but then turned away. Apparently, they did not want to risk a fight with so many Clan cats around.

Rainwhisker joined the RiverClan cats to touch noses with Swallowtail, a pretty tabby she-cat he grew very close to during the journey through the mountains. I also weaved my way through the crowd to meet some old friends.

"Looks like Leopardstar already appointed Blackclaw as her new deputy," Crowfeather remarked gruffly after we greeted each other. Indeed, the black RiverClan warrior was stalking around the roots of the large tree, talking with the spotted golden leader.

I was incredulous. "Mistyfoot is not dead, and was not exiled, so there cannot be a new deputy!"

Crowfeather shrugged. "Tell that to Leopardstar. It wouldn't be the first time when she does that; I heard she was quite quick to appoint Hawkfrost when Mistyfoot was captured, back in the forest. Maybe she doesn't even know that Mistyfoot is alive; who knows what Blackclaw told her."

I sighed. Was history repeating itself, with Leopardstar being manipulated by cats with evil intentions, resulting in fatal mistakes?

More cats poured through the bridge – ShadowClan was here at last. Birchpaw bounded away to greet Applepaw; theirs was another of the tight bonds that had formed during the Great Journey. Spotting Tawnypelt among the newcomers, I walked up to her, brushing my pelt against hers, and she gave a quick lick to my cheek. "Greetings, Brambleclaw. How is prey running?"

"I have a bad feeling about all this," I admitted. "The gathering... the future of the Clans."

"I know what you mean," Tawnypelt replied. "We heard about RiverClan... moreover, many of our warriors are fed up with the constant border fights with ThunderClan, especially after Littlecloud told about his vision of a menace from the Dark Forest. But Blackstar will not give up his ambitions."

"I think all medicine cats had that vision," I remarked, remembering what Leafpool told, and knowing that the Dark Forest gained more and more influence over the living world. I hoped the leaders would tell about it, and the cats would listen to reason. Glancing around, I saw Littlecloud and Barkface among the cats, but Willowpaw was nowhere.

The moon was at its highest, and I padded over to the great tree with my head held high to take my place on the gnarled roots by the other deputies, while the leaders sat on a low branch to address the gathered cats. Indeed, Blackclaw was sitting where Mistyfoot should have been.

Blackstar was the first to speak. "Cats of all Clans," he yowled, and every face turned towards the four leaders. "This is already our fifth Gathering since we moved to this lake, and I am happy to report that ShadowClan is thriving and prey is sufficient, even through ThunderClan tries everything to take over our territory."

"What was that?" I broke in, knowing that Firestar would leave it at that – maybe even apologize. "It is you who kept attacking us since we moved here, even if the territory was initially divided as you requested."

"Silence," Blackstar retorted nervously. "It's the leaders who speak, not some fake deputy."

The warriors exchanged glances, and I saw Ashfur and Spiderleg sneering in the crowd of the assembled cats. Firestar poked my head with his tail-tip in warning and hissed something, but I did not shut up. "A very fine leader you are, murdering innocent kits. You are worse than Brokenstar."

The cats started to murmur, everyone curious about the story, and the ShadowClan warriors started flexing their claws. "So what if they killed them, they were kittypets," Blackstar growled. "Still better than you – you killed your own brother."

There was more uproar at this, the warriors in the clearing looking ready to spring at each other, but at that moment, a cloud appeared from nowhere to block the moon, covering the island in darkness. Silence fell, the cats looking anxiously at the sky, none of them wanting to defy StarClan.

"I guess I don't have to remind you that Gatherings should be held in peace," Littlecloud meowed drily, standing near the edge of the clearing from where he could see both the great tree and the assembled warriors. "In addition, the leaders know – and I expect them to tell you – about a vision from StarClan about an evil spirit world menacing all Clans. It is the time to stand together."

The cloud slowly left the moon, only a few wisps remaining in front of it to remind us that even though StarClan was giving us a second chance, they were not pleased. More clouds appeared on the horizon, slowly closing in, and the wind grew stronger.

"Very well," Blackstar meowed, turning to Firestar. "If you give us back the piece of land your Clan stole from us, we won't have more claims to your territory, and we will settle with the borders we initially agreed upon."

My leader pondered for a while. "I will think about it, and give you an answer before the Gathering ends."

Blackstar nodded. Onestar spoke next, going on about his Clan faring well, and living in peace.

I turned to Firestar. "I hope you don't plan giving back that piece of land to them," I told him in a low voice the other leaders could not hear. "If you do that, all cats would see us as weak cowards, ceasing our territory in our fear of attacks."

"Wasn't it _your_ idea to use that land to bargain with them?" Firestar grunted. "Times are changing. A spirit world is menacing us, and StarClan wants us to be in peace with the other Clans."

"If it was for StarClan's wish, we would stop fighting without the need for bargains!" I hissed. "We spilled too much blood for that land! A lot of our warriors were hurt, your own mate was almost killed, and you just want to give it away like that."

The leader sighed. "Brambleclaw, you are a good warrior, but you are too fierce and inconsiderate, incapable to see what is good for the Clan. I don't want to hear any more of this."

I was too hurt and appalled to reply. I had always done my best for ThunderClan, always ready to lay my life down for them, and that mouse-hearted cat of a Firestar accused me of being a danger to it. No matter if he was leader, a non-Clanborn cat could not know what pride and loyalty meant, could never understand that the Clan always came first, and that a leader must not back off and humiliate himself, especially before those who made us suffer so much.

Onestar finished his short speech in the meantime, and it was the turn of Leopardstar to speak. I held my breath as I waited for his words.

"Cats of all Clans," she began in an uncertain voice. "I am proud to report that RiverClan is stronger than ever, and we have five new warriors, three of whom you could already meet here." She flicked her tail in the direction of the rogues sitting in the shadows.

"Warriors?" Firestar snarled, his fur standing on end. "Those are rogues with no faith in StarClan! Is RiverClan filling their ranks with ruffians now? Wasn't it you, Leopardstar, who agreed to kill all warriors who did not have pure blood, back when you threw your cats at Tigerstar's mercy?"

"It's not for a kittypet filling his Clan with other kittypets to comment on that. They were accepted in the Clan, so they are warriors now," Leopardstar retorted. "Moreover," she continued before any cat could speak, "we have a new deputy, Blackclaw, who is one of our most experienced warriors, and will help me to make RiverClan the strongest."

"So I take that Mistyfoot is dead?" Onestar inquired. "What happened?"

"She is not, but she left the Clan after an argument we had, abandoning her position. We cannot trust a deputy like her."

"Left?" I meowed loudly for every cat to hear. "Rather _escaped_ after your new deputy wanted to slay her, just as he wanted to kill your medicine cat. A fine leader you are, standing around as Clanborn cats are killed off, replaced with rogues."

There was more murmur in the clearing, and Blackclaw, Voletooth and the rogues were about to leap at me. Leopardstar turned to her deputy. "Blackclaw... is this true? You told me that Mothwing was killed in an ambush, and Mistyfoot..."

"Do you doubt my words? Would you rather believe that crowfood-eater who killed our best warrior?" Blackclaw hissed. "What I said was true."

The cats were cut to silence by a blinding white lightning flashing through the sky, illuminating the island with an eerie glow. The deafening roar of thunder followed after just a heartbeat, coming from everywhere at once, and I saw the dark clouds approaching the moon.

"StarClan is angry with us," Barkface murmured in a shaky voice from the group of the WindClan cats.

"Are they now?" one of the rogues sneered. "And what can they do to us?"

"Do not defy StarClan," the medicine cat warned him. "Ask any cat what happened to Mudclaw." No cat spoke; all warriors remembered vividly what happened to the WindClan deputy a few moons ago. "What RiverClan does is against every rule and tradition, and puts all of us in danger."

"Shut up already, you old fleabag," another rogue – the large white tomcat – hissed and leapt at Barkface. The other two followed, and the other warriors in the clearing joined in, trying to separate the fighting cats – or trying to create more havoc. I jumped into the battle to help the WindClan cats, but a cat barrelled into me and knocked me over, and the next moment, his teeth were searching for my throat. It was Blackclaw – the black warrior profited of the battle to try to finish me off. I threw him aside with a strong kick of my hind legs, and Ashfur jumped on him, the two wrestling cats disappearing in the fray.

The clouds finally reached the moon, and the clearing plunged again into darkness. The cats broke up, retreating in shame, glancing at their leaders and at the sky. No matter how high hostilities had run, the cats still feared StarClan and their wrath.

Heavy, cold raindrops started to fall to the ground and liquid lightning flashed very close to us, thunder rumbling through the sky. The warriors huddled together; some began to flee in terror. Blackclaw and the rogues were nowhere to be seen. The Gathering was over.

"Those mouse-brains," Onestar's voice came muffled from the direction of the tree, the leader rather speaking to himself than to the warriors. "I wouldn't be surprised if we lost StarClan's favour for good."

I circled the clearing, trying to round up the ThunderClan warriors, eager to get away from the island, from the rain, from the cats that just wanted to kill me. Ashfur and Birchpaw were close by, and I found Rainwhisker talking with Swallowtail, giving the RiverClan she-cat a last affectionate lick before separating from her. I felt Firestar's tail-tip brushing along my wet flank. "Are you hurt?"

"No," I replied. "Only some scratches. Did you see Dustpelt and Spiderleg? I cannot find them anywhere."

"They are already at the bridge. Let's go."

We made our way through the bridge, careful not to slip on the damp bark, then continued along the lake, following the WindClan cats from a large distance. The cold rain fell harder and harder until we could hardly see the shoreline. I glanced around nervously, expecting the rogues to charge at us from the shadows.

"What we saw today confirmed what you said about RiverClan," Firestar meowed as I joined him at the head of the group. "Their business or not, we must stop it before everything gets out of paw, and the ancestors turn away from all of us. What do you recommend? Should we try talking to them, or attack?"

"Why do you want my opinion?" I grunted. "I am just some inconsiderate and bloodthirsty creature, unable to see what is good for the Clan."

"Listen, Brambleclaw, I am sorry for being harsh, but I stand by my words," the leader replied. "This is not the right time to have every cat at our throats, if we can do something about it."

"I talked with Swallowtail," Rainwhisker cut in before we could start arguing. "Most RiverClan members do not appreciate what is happening, but they cannot do anything as Leopardstar supports Blackclaw, and the rogues keep every cat in check. Talking won't help; those troublemakers need to be driven out."

"Very well," Firestar meowed. "I will see to it. I should have talked to Onestar." The WindClan cats left the island before us, and we could not see them anymore. "Tomorrow I'll do."

We padded on in silence, keeping our heads low to protect our eyes from the water. The rain got even stronger; by then, we could barely make out each other. Thunder rumbled and the wind howled like a starving wolf, the ground turned into slippery mud, and we were soaked to the skin. It seemed that StarClan wanted us never to forget this Gathering.

When we reached the stream that made up the border between ThunderClan and WindClan, we saw that it was swollen from the heavy rain, too fast and wide to cross it safely. Dustpelt tested its depth with his forepaws, but he could not reach the bottom. Lightning crackled close, blinding us.

"There's a spot close by where the stream is shallower, by the group of the birch trees" I meowed. "We can wade across there."

"Maybe you big lump can, but me or Birchpaw surely cannot," Spiderleg spat. "We should find those stepping stones farther upstream." It was a place we knew well from our border patrols; crossing would be safe there. Firestar nodded and we followed him, a slight uneasiness lingering in me as we entered WindClan territory. After stumbling around for a long time in the darkness, we found the stepping stones; they were barely visible in the churning water.

Firestar sent Dustpelt first; the dark warrior crossed with firm steps, and got to the other side safely. Birchpaw and Ashfur were next; the apprentice slipped on a wet stone and almost fell in the stream, but Dustpelt grabbed him by the scruff and helped him climb out to the shore. Rainwhisker, Spiderleg and Firestar followed, and I was the last to cross. Leaping lightly from the shore, I landed on the first stone, then stepped on the next one, firm and relieved that the danger had passed.

"Look out!" Dustpelt yowled, and before I could react, a branch carried by the fast-flowing water emerged from the darkness, bouncing over the stones to take me off my paws. I fell into the stream, and the black water closed around me.

Flailing with my paws, I tried to get to the surface, but the water carried and spun me at a tremendous speed, and soon I did not know which direction was up and down. I was surrounded by cold, liquid darkness, suffocating me, and white sparks danced in front of my eyes as the air ran out from my lungs.

The current smashed me against the bank, and with the last of my strength, I sank my claws in the muddy ground, trying to haul myself up. Two cats grabbed me by the scruff and pulled me out of the stream.

"Thanks," I managed with faltering voice, coughing up water. I saw the shapes of Firestar and Dustpelt looming above me, and the other four cats arrived shortly after. I was shaking from cold and tiredness; never in my life was I closer to joining StarClan. Nevertheless, I got to my paws – we had to get back to the camp. The storm did not cease, but as we finally entered the forest, the large trees sheltered us somewhat from the elements.

Soon, we were close to the camp, padding on with relief – we survived the night, and we would soon sleep in our dens. Then, we heard a loud crack announcing that one of the trees could not stand the assault of the wind anymore, and in the next moment, a huge branch plunged from above, falling on the two cats walking in the back of the group.

"Dustpelt! Rainwhisker!" They were trapped, and the rest of us worked frantically to free them, grabbing the branch with teeth, pushing and pulling it with all our might. Dustpelt emerged limping heavily, but Rainwhisker was not so lucky. As we finally managed to move the branch, we could see the lifeless body of the grey warrior.

Ashfur pulled him free and I tried to massage his chest as Mothwing taught me, but it was of no use – the branch falling on his head had killed him instantly. Firestar pushed me aside and delicately closed the warrior's blue eyes.

Shocked, we stood around the fallen body, the grey fur soaked with water and covered with mud, suddenly aware of our mortality and the thin line between life and death. Dustpelt and Ashfur pressed their noses in the cold pelt – they were the best friends of the young warrior.

There was no time to linger, though. Another strong gust of wind shook the forest, and we heard another loud crack in the distance. "We should get going," Firestar meowed, and we stood up shakily. Ashfur and Spiderleg grabbed the fallen cat by the scruff to carry him to the camp.

We walked in silence, chilled to the bone, and with grief in our hearts. Rainwhisker, a loyal and young ThunderClan warrior, the last living son of the formidable Whitestorm, has left us to join StarClan.

As we slipped through the thorn tunnel, another distressing sight met our eyes – the clearing was flooded, rainwater gathered in large, deep puddles, making the stone hollow rather resemble the Moonpool than a Clan camp. Brackenfur and Ferncloud emerged from the apprentices' den. "Thanks StarClan you are back," the golden tabby meowed. "The warriors' den and the nursery got flooded. We moved the queens and kits to the elders' den, and the rest of us took shelter in the apprentices' and Leafpool's." Firestar nodded absently.

"Is that Rainwhisker?" Ferncloud asked, taken aback, seeing the lifeless warrior. "Quick, let's take him to Leafpool!"

"It's no use," Dustpelt sighed. "He's dead. A falling branch hit him."

More cats emerged from the caves, and I could hear Sorreltail's wail as she caught sight of her brother. She buried her head in Rainwhisker's soaked fur, the tears welling up from her amber eyes mingling with the drops of the driving rain.

The flooded ground was no place for a vigil, so we moved the lifeless body on a smooth stone beneath the Highledge where his Clanmates could share tongues with him for the last time. His fur was cleaned of the mud, and Leafpool sprinkled flower petals on him to take away the scent of death.

After some time, most cats retreated silently to sleep, only Sorreltail, Dustpelt, Ferncloud, Ashfur and Cloudtail remained to sit vigil for the entire night. I slipped into the apprentices' den where most of the warriors took shelter. There were no beddings prepared, and everything was wet and muddy, but I was grateful to finally escape the chilling rain.

Lying down next to Squirrelflight, I licked the raindrops from my wet fur until my coat was fairly dry, but that did not stop me from shivering with cold. Thunder crashed outside, echoing from the walls of the hollow. I nestled closer to my mate's warm body and she licked my ear. "How was the Gathering?"

"It was a disaster," I answered. "Those rogues turned up and started a fight, and soon every cat was fighting or fleeing. This storm is StarClan's answer to what happened at the Gathering... you can imagine for yourself how was it."

"Did you learn anything?" She bit my ear gently. "What is RiverClan planning?"

"Those rogues of Blackclaw were accepted as warriors; apparently all five of them survived the adventure at the trench. In addition, Blackclaw is now deputy. It seems Leopardstar doesn't even know what he did and what is going on."

"I suspect that he will be leader soon... if no cat stops him." She let out a small snort of laughter. "That would be funny, having two Blackstars as Clan leaders."

"We will stop him," I murmured, tucking my muzzle under her chin as I let sleep take me.

* * *

The rain did not stop, but it subsided to a light drizzle by the time the first light of dawn painted the sky dark grey. The cats returned from their vigil, and the elders took Rainwhisker's body to the burial place outside the camp. He was the third ThunderClan cat to die since we moved to the lake.

I stretched my muscles and yawned, preparing to send out the dawn patrols and lead one myself, but Brackenfur stopped me. "You don't look too well, Brambleclaw. You should rest some more; Firestar will see to the patrols."

He was right – I felt sick, and chills were shaking through me from ears to tail-tip. The battle, the rain, the bath, the cold, the exhaustion was more than my body had been able to handle.

Squirrelflight licked my nose. "Indeed, you have a fever. I will tell Leafpool to bring you some herbs."

Sighing, I slowly sank back to the cave floor, watching as the cats padded out in the clearing. Firestar assigned Squirrelflight to lead the patrol checking the WindClan border, and she took Whitewing and Brook with her. The other patrol was led by the Clan leader himself.

Mothwing brought me some catmint and feverfew and I gladly accepted them, then continued to lie half-asleep, thinking how much time would it take to rebuild the warrior's den and the nursery. It was not a great deal of work, but we had to wait for the ground to dry up before bringing new moss for beddings. I thought about the other Clans; their camps were likely more affected by the weather than the sheltered stone hollow, especially RiverClan's.

A shrill yowl roused me from my slumber, and looking out the entrance, I saw Spiderleg emerging from the thorn tunnel. "Firestar's patrol was attacked by a large ShadowClan party! We must help him!"

There were not many warriors around; several more had left on hunting patrols in the meantime. Those who were in the camp assembled in the clearing in no time – even Mothwing and the wounded Stormfur joined them. I dashed forward to lead them in battle, but Spiderleg stopped me. "Brambleclaw, Firestar requested that you remain in the camp as you are not in the condition to fight, and we cannot risk losing our deputy."

"Since when are you concerned about my health?" I grunted. "I cannot stay here while my Clan is attacked."

"It was Firestar's request," Spiderleg shrugged.

Cloudtail brushed his tail along my shoulder. "Don't worry, I will lead them. ShadowClan will never forget this battle."

I made my way back grumpily to the apprentices' den, glancing back as the cats left through the thorn tunnel. Only the elders, queens and kits remained in the camp, all sheltered in the elders' den – and Leafpool. _ShadowClan, again_, I grumbled. _And Firestar wanted to bargain with those fox-hearts_.

The medicine cat brought me some more herbs, and she sat along me, watching me chewing the sour-tasting leaves. Soon, we heard more cats crashing through the camp entrance. I was surprised; it was too early for any patrol to return. As I exited the cave, I saw Spiderleg dashing into the clearing, with Blackclaw and the five RiverClan rogues on his heels.

"Spiderleg, what is happening?" Leafpool demanded in alarm, padding up to stand beside me. "Were you followed? Why..."

The newcomers stopped in the middle of the clearing, their pelts ragged and muddy. "I just brought some friends who have some unfinished business with the great Brambleclaw. As do I, for that matter," Spiderleg sneered. "There was no ShadowClan attack. I told that just to lure the other mousebrains away. No cat will save you this time."

"Your friends?" I spat. "Spiderleg, what is the meaning of this? You pair up with rogues to murder your Clanmates?"

"You are responsible for this," he snarled. "Did you think that every cat would support your behaviour? Ordering us around, manipulating Firestar to snatch the deputy position, stealing Squirrelflight from Ashfur, stirring trouble with every Clan, all while acting the great hero?" His tail lashed. "I will free the clan of you. I will not fail this time."

_This time__?_ Cold suspicion welled up in my heart. "What do you mean, this time?"

"It was me who helped Hawkfrost in his plan," Spiderleg explained. "You stopped him, but you won't be able to stop us now."

I was shocked to hear this – Spiderleg was the traitor Hawkfrost spoke of when he died, even though I initially suspected Ashfur. It made sense nevertheless – Ashfur was a thoughtful and mature cat, but Spiderleg was young, fierce and naive, anger making him take fatal decisions. All pieces fell into place as I recalled the events of the last moons, especially the day when I killed Hawkfrost.

"You piece of fox dung!" I hissed. "Did you plan to murder your leader to frame me, and now you want to destroy the entire Clan, just because your friend lost his mate?"

"The Clan is not in danger," Spiderleg pointed out. "We have business only with you."

"Wrong," Blackclaw meowed, turning to Spiderleg. "Did you believe we only wanted revenge on one stupid warrior? We will kill every cat here, starting with the kits. This will weaken ThunderClan and it will be easier for us to take it over in the near future."

Leafpool pressed her body to mine, burying her face in my fur in terror. Spiderleg looked horrified. "No... not my Clan... not the kits! You promised you would not touch any other cat!"

"And you were so mousebrained to believe it," Blackclaw sneered. "We needed you only to clear the way for us, so we could aim a crippling blow to ThunderClan. Stand aside."

"No!" Spiderleg yowled. "I will not allow you to harm the kits!" He leaped at Blackclaw, catching him off guard and knocking him over, but two rogues jumped at him in an instant, and pinned the young warrior down after a short struggle. I dashed forward, but another rogue blocked my way, and before I could reach Blackclaw, he tore open Spiderleg's throat with a slash of his claws. The ThunderClan warrior convulsed, then remained still, his blood making the large puddles in the clearing turn deep red.

The rogues lined up beside Blackclaw, waiting for his word. I glanced around; Goldenflower and Mousefur stood at the entrance of the elders' den, determined to protect the queens and kits with their lives. There was no time to run for help, and the patrols were still far away. We could count only on ourselves.

The RiverClan cat licked his paw clean before giving his order. "All right, let's get this over with before some of the patrols return and make things harder for us."

The rogues hesitated. "Should we really kill the kits?" the tabby-and-white she-cat asked. "I mean... shouldn't we rather take them prisoners and use them as hostages?"

Blackclaw pondered for a few moments, then shook his head. "It's not worth the trouble, and there's no use bargaining with ThunderClan. Attack!"

He and one of the rogues – a small, muscular cat – charged at me, while the other four ran towards the nursery. Even if I was weakened by the fever and the sickness, the danger gave me strength and I sent the rogue to the ground with a powerful blow. Blackclaw reared up to strike down on me, but I scored my claws across his chest and he retreated with a shriek of pain, slipping and falling in the mud. The small cat jumped at Leafpool, imagining she was an easier prey, and I rushed to her help, but the medicine cat snapped at me. "I can manage it! Go and protect the others!"

Snarling, hissing, and terrified mewls of kits came from the elders' den. Goldenflower was battling the large white rogue at the entrance, both cats bleeding from several wounds, but neither of them retreating. I wanted to help her, but a shrill and desperate wail made me change direction, and I darted into the den.

There was blood and mud everywhere. Daisy, Mousefur and Longtail were knocked out and unconscious, and two of Sorreltail's kits – Honeykit and Molekit – lay motionlessly on the muddy floor with deep claw marks across their tiny bodies. Sorreltail was wrestling with two rogues at the same time; she was fighting as fiercely as only a queen protecting her kits could do. One of the two fell lifelessly to the ground, while I jumped at the other, determined to tear him to small pieces. I raked my claws over his face and he fell, but before I could finish him off, he sprang to his paws and left the den, running for his life.

The last rogue – the tabby and white she-cat – was pinned down by Blazekit and Daisy's three kits, struggling desperately to free herself. I stepped over and gave her the final blow.

Sorreltail padded over to Honeykit and Molekit, and nosed gently the two ragged bundles of fur, the other kits retreating in a corner, terrified. "I will fetch Leafpool," I meowed and slipped out of the den.

Nothing moved in the clearing. Not far from the entrance, I spotted the lifeless body of the large white tom, his eyes glazed over and staring upward. Next to him was Goldenflower, her pale ginger fur covered with blood and mud. She was barely alive; there were a dozen deep wounds on her body, her forelegs hung at awkward angles, and a long gash crossed her face, one of her eyes swollen and closed.

I crouched down next to my mother, trying to clean the wounds. "You will be all right," I meowed. "I will get help in a moment."

Her voice was barely audible. "It was good to fight one last time for the Clan." She tried to lift her head to look around. "Did we win?"

"Yes. We won." Blackclaw underestimated us greatly; he never imagined how fiercely would loyal Clan cats fight to protect their Clanmates, their kits, their kin. Three of the rogues lay dead, two ran away, and Blackclaw... _where was Blackclaw?_

I heard splashing behind me, and before I could turn around, a weight crashed down on my back, making me slip in the mud and fall as the black RiverClan warrior sank his teeth in my neck, aiming for my spine. I desperately kicked out with my hind legs, then tried to roll over to shake him off, but I could not escape his grip. The other two rogues who fled earlier appeared as well, joining the fight, tearing long gashes in my flesh.

I collapsed to the ground, torn apart by sharp claws, the jaws closing down on my spine paralyzing me, the entire world reducing to a burning pain in my neck as death drew near.

Suddenly, the RiverClan warrior let out a yowl of terror, letting me go. Sounds of fighting reached my senses and as I opened my eyes, I saw Squirrelflight's patrol returning and leaping at the attackers. Whitewing and Brook aimed for the two rogues, while Squirrelflight pulled Blackclaw off me.

The black cat was much larger and stronger than the ginger warrior was; still, she fought so formidably that he had no chance. She attacked with all her might, and her moves were so quick that I saw only flashes of dark ginger fur – if there was a cat who fought more ferociously than a queen protecting her kits, it was Squirrelflight protecting me. After only a few moments, Blackclaw lay dead in the mud, his throat tore open by sharp teeth. One of the other rogues was dead as well, and the only surviving one disappeared through the tunnel.

"Brambleclaw, are you all right?" I felt my mate's tongue rasping over my ear, and I tried to get up, but I was still paralyzed with pain. "Hold on, I will get help."

"Leafpool is wounded too!" Brook's voice came from the other side of the clearing. "What happened here? Where are the other warriors?"

"Get all cobwebs from the medicine cat's den, and any herbs that might help!" Whitewing yowled, and I saw her flashing past. "Every cat is injured!"

"Brambleclaw, answer me!" Squirrelflight nosed my shoulder, and tried to clean my wounds with frantic licks. I fought against the black veil descending on me. _I cannot die! I have a Clan to protect, and a quest to undertake!_ But my life was slowly ebbing away; the blood loss, the wounds, the sickness were too much for a cat to survive.

"Squirrelflight..." I managed to whisper with my last breath. "I love you. I will watch you from the stars."

I had no longer the strength to keep my heart beating, and everything receded from me until I was enveloped in complete, impenetrable blackness. I do not know for how long I floated in the dark – maybe for an eternity, maybe for just a heartbeat – but when I finally managed to open my eyes, I found myself at the edge of a moonlit greenleaf forest. I sat up, and I saw a blue-gray she-cat standing next to me, stars glowing in her fur.

"Bluestar!" I recognized her instantly. "Am I... Is this..."

"StarClan welcomes you, young warrior," the former ThunderClan leader greeted me. "Come. There are some cats who would like to meet you."

* * *

_Note: You can see that in some parts, I keep to the canon (like Rainwhisker dying from a falling branch some time after Sunset), but in other parts, I do not. For instance, I did not like the idea of Ashfur being the traitor (and it does not make much sense if you pay attention while reading Twilight / Sunset); so I went ahead and changed it._

_Thanks for reading, and remember to send in your reviews. One more chapter remaining from Part One._


	14. Chapter 12: Another Star in Silverpelt

**Chapter 12  
**_Another Star in Silverpelt_

In the clearing below, there were four tall oak trees, their curved branches swaying slightly in the warm night breeze. Several cats were gathered next to it in small groups, some talking with each other, others looking expectantly at us.

"Fourtrees! But this place was destroyed long ago!" I still remembered vividly the Twoleg monsters tearing up the place, the oaks uprooted and cut to pieces, the Great Rock tossed aside upside-down, leaving a gaping hole in the ground.

"In the waking world, it was," Bluestar replied, motioning with her tail for me to follow her. "But as long as it remains in our memories, it will exist here, in StarClan."

We reached the cats assembled in the clearing, and I recognized Tallstar, Feathertail, Shrewpaw, Rainwhisker – and my grandfather, Pinestar. Most of the cats I did not know though; they were ancestors who walked the forest many seasons before I was born. Their faces were grave and worried, certainly not welcoming, and a wave of uneasiness crept over me. _Was something wrong? Will I be cast out and sent to the Dark Forest for conspiring with Tigerstar?_

"Brambleclaw," Pinestar greeted me. He was unlike any StarClan cat – he had the stars in his eyes, not in his fur – but even if he was an outsider, his attitude was so confident and commanding as if he was the leader of the entire spirit realm. "So we meet again. There are some things we must discuss, and you must begin your quest as soon as you can."

"That... but I died! I cannot do anything now!" Looking down at my paws, I had the illusion of faint stars appearing in my fur.

Pinestar snorted. "Do you think you can escape your fate this easily? You are now on the brink of life and death, and no medicine cat can help you. Yet we can, and you will be sent back to the living world."

The StarClan warriors started murmuring. An orange cat with white paws spoke up. "Don't speak as if the matter was decided. We must not give lives to any cat but leaders, and you know that I still oppose giving a cat an opportunity to be that powerful as the prophecy suggests. I don't care about the Guardians' code; we are now in StarClan, and what you suggest is against StarClan's every rule."

"Thunderstar is right," a grey she-cat with a battle-scarred muzzle put in. _Yellowfang_, I recalled her name; she used to be ThunderClan's medicine cat when I was a kit. "We cannot interfere this much in the lives of the Clans."

"Is that so?" Pinestar grunted, flashing a disapproving look at the grey cat. "Wasn't it you who sent back Cinderpelt's spirit in the living world, trapping it into the body of an unknowing kit, instead of accepting her in StarClan, as StarClan's Code dictates?" Yellowfang murmured something and stared at the ground. "And you, Thunderstar," Pinestar continued, turning to the orange leader, "you shouldn't be the cat who tells others how to follow the Code. By killing Rainwhisker with your thunderstorm, you broke StarClan's Code so severely that you should be exiled from here. Besides, we do not have another choice. I thought we agreed on the matter the last time we spoke."

"We did not agree about giving away lives," the cat called Thunderstar replied. "Cannot Brambleclaw fulfil the quest as a StarClan warrior? He still has his... special powers, I suppose."

"If it had been possible for a spirit cat, I would have done it myself a long time ago," the reddish-brown cat dismissed the suggestion. "Spirits are powerless outside their own realm."

Thunderstar dipped his head in defeat, and a she-cat with a dappled coat spoke. "You may be right, Pinestar, but it is impossible for StarClan to give a life to a cat who is not at the Moonpool, and who is already about to die."

"Generally yes, Spottedleaf, but I have a life of my own to spare," Pinestar answered. "The life I denied from Sunstar. I hope he will approve." His voice faded to a murmur towards the end.

Not waiting for more arguments, he stepped forward to touch his nose to mine. "With this life, I give you confidence; to do always what your heart thinks is right."

A surge of energy flooded me, as if I had the faith and strength of all ancestors running in my veins. Strange images rushed through my mind, of cats living in faraway places, but the vision faded before I could get a better look at them. My fur stood at the end, and the faint glimmer of stars gradually vanished from it. It was too much for my mind to take in – first the certainty of death, then being given another chance.

Pinestar stepped back. "Your spirit will need some time to find its way back to the living world – if it can at all. I hope I was not too late. Until then, I will tell you about your mission." He glanced fleetingly at the other cats, and when Thunderstar nodded, he turned back to me.

"I suppose you already know that Tigerstar wants to take his revenge both on the living cats and StarClan. Maybe you already wondered why was he the first and only cat from the Place of No Stars to influence the living world," he continued. "He was one of a few cats who had the latent power to shape the dreams and the spirit world. Stars in blood, it is called by some. He never knew of his powers while he was alive; a cat needs to be trained to use these powers. But they surfaced once he joined the Place of No Stars."

He paused, giving a few licks to his chest fur, then continued. "Now, the question is how to stop him. StarClan is powerless; only a living cat can do it, who has the power to shape the spirit world. And a prophecy foretold that you would be that cat."

"Me? Why do you think I have that power?" Even if Leafpool told of a quest before, I could not imagine why did they choose me. Maybe to atone my father's sins?

"Well, it is obvious, as it runs in families, and only toms have it," he answered.

"So you have it as well?"

"Indeed I do. That's why I left ThunderClan," he explained. "StarClan would have never accepted my spirit after my death, fearing I would get too powerful – just like Tigerstar became now in the Place of No Stars. When I was on my last life, I left to join other cats whose ancestors accepted me. The Clans thought I left to live as a kittypet." He let out a soft _mrrow_ of laughter, then his face became grave. "But even with my powers, I cannot do anything as a spirit against the Place of No Stars. Only a living cat can help, and you are the only one we know. And Blazekit, of course, but he is obviously too young to undertake any responsibility."

Determination and enthusiasm passed through me – this was an opportunity to help not only my Clan, but all living cats. "Where do I begin?"

"The difficult part is to find some cat who can teach you how to use your powers. Starwalkers, as they were called, were exiled a long time ago, as every cat feared them. They allegedly live in a place called Penumbra, a region sealed away both from the living world and StarClan."

_Sealed away_? That did not sound promising. "So how can I reach them?"

Pinestar sighed. "I do not know. However, there are some cats who may help you. From the lake, follow the stream in the hills, then turn towards the rising sun and look for a strange Twoleg ruin on a hilltop. There you will find the Order of Echoes, the group of cats I joined after leaving ThunderClan. They might know how to reach Penumbra, although they will likely be reluctant to share their knowledge with you."

I nodded in agreement. "So... I visit this Order, then find Penumbra, where I will learn how to defeat the Dark Forest."

"It is not as easy as it sounds," the dappled cat named Spottedleaf spoke softly. "You must prepare well and be very careful. Learn what you can during the journey, ask help from any cat that looks friendly enough, and remember to guard your dreams. You will face great dangers both on the journey and after that. No Clan cat met a greater challenge, and we are unable to follow and help you."

"To sum it up, seems it will be a great experience, and great fun," Feathertail added, her blue eyes shining. "I regret that I cannot go with you this time."

"Can I take a companion with me?" _What would I do without Squirrelflight? _I needed her presence to offer strength and comfort, and to guard my dreams.

"It's your choice," Pinestar shrugged. "Nevertheless, I advise against it. This is your mission alone, and you must be not distracted by other things."

"But... I cannot do this alone," I blurted out. "She is my mate... I love her."

"Especially because of that you must not take her with you," Bluestar pointed out. "Tigerstar knows your feelings and will use them against you. What if you have to choose between defeating the Place of No Stars and saving Squirrelflight?"

"That won't happen," I meowed confidently. "I will be there to protect her, and she can look after herself anyway."

"It's a spirit world with evil powers we are talking about," Pinestar remarked coldly. "You cannot be sure of anything; no cat could prepare you for the challenges you will face. You must not act foolishly, and must not put her life in danger."

"Very well," I sighed in defeat. "I will go alone."

"There is another part of the prophecy you likely do not know," Thunderstar added. "If you succeed – in your training as a Starwalker, at least – you will be feared of all cats, and have no place in StarClan. Maybe you won't have one in the living world either."

"Do I have a choice?" I grunted. _Did he still want to stop me?_ "Would you rather see the Clans destroyed, or something like that?"

"I only made you aware of the full prophecy," the orange cat replied dismissively. It was so... unfair. I was supposed to save every cat, and as a result, I would be cast out from every realm.

The edges of the clearing started to dissolve; the dream fading away. "You will soon wake up," Bluestar meowed. "When you feel enough strong, you must leave at once to find this Order. Every moment counts... maybe it is already too late."

This puzzled me. "Why didn't you speak to me earlier then? When we moved to the lake... when I was made a warrior..."

"We received Goosefeather's prophecy only a quarter moon ago," the grey she-cat explained. "Since then, we have been trying to figure out what to do, and arguing about letting a cat to be a Starwalker. Anyway, it is decided now."

The clearing continued to fade away, the darkness of dreamless sleep descending on it. Thunderstar stepped forward from the group of the cats. "We wish you well, Brambleclaw. You have our futures in your paws."

* * *

I was floating again in impenetrable darkness at the edge of the spirit realm and the living world. For an eternity, for a heartbeat – I could not tell.

Soft meows reached my ear, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in the crowded medicine den, cats lying on beddings of moss and bracken in every corner. Squirrelflight was lying next to me, and I was convinced that she had never left my side while I was unconscious. As I raised my head, she opened her eyes instantly, boundless relief reflecting in the shining green orbs.

"Brambleclaw, you are awake! We all thought you were dead!" She nestled closer to me, and licked my cheek lovingly.

Outside, the weather was clear and bright white rays illuminated the stone hollow. There was no trace of the storm or rain, although the ground was still muddy, and small puddles reflected the blue sky above. I saw Ferncloud and Whitewing padding in the direction of the warriors' den carrying large bundles of dried moss. "How much time has passed since the battle?"

"Three days." I was surprised; my visit in StarClan certainly seemed much shorter than that.

"What happened since? Is every cat all right?" Glancing around in the medicine cat's den, I saw Mousefur, Longtail, Leafpool and Sorreltail and her kits.

"Molekit died of his wounds," Squirrelflight sighed. "Honeykit was also badly wounded, but she survived and will likely recover. Blazekit is very protective of her; they are inseparable." Next to the small light brown bundle there was an older kit, wrapping himself around her protectively. "Sorreltail has a badly wounded paw," Squirrelflight continued, flicking her ear in the direction of the dappled she-cat resting beside the kits. "Leafpool did not recover fully either; Mothwing has been doing all medicine cat jobs. The Clan is still in shock; it will be some time before things get back into normal."

"What about Goldenflower? How is she?" Remembering her injuries, I feared the worst, however I did not see her in StarClan and that gave me some hope.

"I'm sorry, Brambleclaw," Squirrelflight meowed. "She died soon after the battle."

"That cannot be!" My mother who always protected me, comforted me, stood up for me – I could not believe that she left us for good, that she was now just another star in Silverpelt. I was not even there to sit vigil for her.

Firestar entered the den followed by Sandstorm and Cloudtail – some cat must have told him that I was finally awake. "Brambleclaw," the leader greeted me. "It's good to see you awake. We thought you dead and even Mothwing told a cat could not survive such injuries, but you did, and your wounds are almost healed. It is a miracle. Cloudtail said that you looked like a leader losing a life."

He was certainly close to the truth. "StarClan helped me," I murmured. "Firestar... is it true? Did Goldenflower die?"

"It is true," Firestar replied. "She died of her wounds the day after the battle."

I felt my eyes filling with tears. "It is my fault." If I had been more considerate and had not started to visit Tigerstar in the first place, there would not have been so many conflicts, so many battles, so many deaths... my mother, my brother, Spiderleg, Molekit would still be alive.

"Stop blaming yourself," Firestar grunted. "You did what was right for your Clan, and what a loyal warrior would do. It was not your fault that some cats chose to go against the Warrior Code."

I did not reply. He did not know the entire story – about the dreams of the Dark Forest.

"Goldenflower died protecting her Clan," Sandstorm meowed. "No cat could wish for a more honourable death. She was buried with the greatest honour a warrior could receive."

I nodded, remembering my mother's words the day before the battle. _I miss my warrior days. I wish I could still fight for the Clan, instead of lying in a dark cave, waiting to join StarClan_. Her wish was fulfilled, and now she was watching over me from Silverpelt.

"There will be a special Gathering later today, at sunset," Firestar continued. "We – the leaders, I mean – wish to discuss the future of the Clans after the recent events, and talk about some dreams we had the night after the battle. You should come as well, if you feel all right."

I stood up and stretched my muscles. Although my wounds still hurt and I felt the world spinning with me, I decided that I was prepared for a walk. Cloudtail was right – receiving a life in StarClan healed me of almost all injuries.

"I will come," I replied. This was our opportunity to solve all problems between the Clans.

* * *

The setting sun bathed the evening sky in its fiery golden glow as we padded through the tree bridge to reach the island where the fateful events started three days before. Now, everything was quiet; the only sounds I could hear were the occasional cries of water birds and the roar of a Twoleg water-monster in the distance.

Firestar led the patrol, and I followed him close behind. The other cats who came with us were Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Stormfur, Brook, Mothwing and Mistyfoot. The other three leaders had already arrived at the island, together with their deputies and medicine cats. We sat down in small groups facing each other – with so few cats there was no need for the leaders to address us from the tree branch.

"My fellow leaders," Leopardstar began, and every head turned to watch the RiverClan cat. "I must admit that I had poor judgement when I listened to Blackclaw's advice and accepted the changes he suggested for the Clan. He became too dangerous, and I apologize for the suffering he caused." She dipped her head in Firestar's direction. "I must also point out that the things he did were not on my orders."

"That is not an excuse," Firestar retorted. "Leaders are always responsible for what their Clan members do. After the TigerClan thing, this is already the second time you put all cats in danger and cause the death of many loyal warriors."

"That is true," Leopardstar replied. "For this reason, I decided to resign from my position and offer it to Mistyfoot. I know he will be a much more thoughtful leader. Naturally, she, Mothwing, Stormfur and Brook will be accepted back in RiverClan."

"Thank you," Mistyfoot meowed. "I honour your decision, and I accept it." The cats cheered, relief shining in every eye, and wished her good luck.

"Very well," Leopardstar concluded. "We will visit the Moonpool this night."

I turned to Stormfur. "So... are you returning to RiverClan?" I always feared that eventually he would, when things returned to normal.

"Yes, Brambleclaw," the grey warrior replied. "I am grateful for ThunderClan helping us, but my heart will always be with RiverClan. We talked it through with Mistyfoot... she needs me. The Clan needs me."

"I am returning as well," Mothwing meowed, squeezing herself between Squirrelflight and me to give my cheek a comforting lick. "The danger has passed, and I must continue as their medicine cat."

I nodded, my throat too tight to reply. After losing my mother, my sister and my best friend were leaving as well.

"Did the danger really pass?" Firestar asked the RiverClan cats, hearing our conversation. "What about Stonestream, Voletooth, or any other followers of Blackclaw?"

"Stonestream has already turned away from Blackclaw after the fight at the trench, and I'm sure Voletooth will also see reason," Leopardstar answered. "In any case, I don't expect any problems from any cat."

"We must discuss of the dream as well," Barkface meowed. "At the last half moon, we had a warning from StarClan about danger from another spirit world, and they asked us to stop fighting. Unfortunately, no leader took it seriously." He glanced accusingly at the cats. "But the night after the battle, we had another warning."

Onestar continued. "This time, not only medicine cats, but leaders had the dream as well. StarClan told us about the same menace, and that both Hawkfrost and Blackclaw were manipulated by that evil spirit world. More and more cats will likely get under its influence, trying to take over or destroy the Clans. For this reason, we must stand united instead of fighting each other, until they are defeated."

"How can a spirit world be defeated?" Blackstar asked. "Will StarClan do it themselves?"

"They cannot," Barkface replied. "They told us that a Clan warrior who walked the path of light and shadow will deliver us of the danger. We must find out who this warrior is."

"I believe I am the one," I meowed. "StarClan told me of a quest I must undertake to defeat this spirit world, and I must start out as soon as possible. I will leave tomorrow morning."

All cats stared at me as if I were a flying hedgehog. "Brambleclaw? StarClan's chosen? Why? What did they tell?" Questions were flying from all directions. "Do you mean you have other talents besides getting in trouble all the time?"

"They likely had their reasons," I replied after the noise died down. I preferred not to speak about those reasons – no cat save Leafpool and Squirrelflight knew the whole story, and knowing that Tigerstar was behind all this would have turned every cat against me. "It is not an easy choice, and I wish there was another way. But I must do what they ask." I felt a pang of pain and regret as I thought about the things I must sacrifice – give up my position in the Clan, leave my mate, my friends and my would-be apprentice behind, abandon everything I was living for, and probably never return. _And cast out from every realm_.

More questions came. "What must you do? Where you must go?" I told them briefly about the cats I was supposed to seek out.

"Who will you take with you?" Stormfur asked. "We should go together... the cats who were on the Great Journey. I will be glad to help and fight by your side."

"I must go alone," I sighed. "StarClan advised me to do so. It is a dangerous mission where the enemy will use any opportunity to hurt me, and I must not bring other cats to danger."

"Very wise," Blackstar remarked. "I wish you well, then." The hostility he manifested towards me during the past half moon faded away, but I supposed the truce was only temporary.

"I also wish you well," Firestar meowed. "I don't know if StarClan will be with you to light your path in the faraway places you will visit, but we must hope that you will succeed. I must thank you for the service you did for ThunderClan; even if we disagreed a couple of times, you were the best deputy I could have wished for. Should you return, you will always have a place in the Clan."

The cats murmured agreement, and wished me luck as well. Most of them still looked incredulous, finding it hard to believe that such a prophecy was weighing down my shoulders, and that I could do anything to help the Clans.

"Now, if that matter is settled, we must discuss about what us, leaders, are supposed to do," Firestar continued. "I promise that ThunderClan will not claim the territory of other Clans, and will not start a battle unless provoked, until the danger has passed. Furthermore, I decided to return the strip of hunting ground we took from ShadowClan a half moon ago."

I let out an involuntary growl, but the cats were paying attention only to the leaders. "Thank you, Firestar," Blackstar replied. "ShadowClan will not claim more territory either, and will not attack other Clans unless provoked." Onestar and Mistyfoot made the same solemn promise.

It was already dark when we crossed the stream to arrive in ThunderClan territory. Firestar led the small patrol, I followed him with Squirrelflight padding next to me, while Sandstorm brought up the rear. My head was heavy with thoughts, and my tail trailed in the dust.

"Don't be so depressed," Squirrelflight tried to cheer me up. "I know you will succeed; and you will be back in no time."

"It's not only the journey," I replied. "With Goldenflower dead and Mothwing returning to RiverClan, I have just lost all my family."

"You will have a family soon. _Our_ family."

I licked her behind the ears, a wave of gratitude washing over me. _Our family. Our kits_. But it could not chase away the dark thoughts, the dangers looming over me, the insecurity, the pain of losing my mother.

"Will you really go alone?" Squirrelflight asked after a while.

"It's what StarClan wants," I sighed. It would be a long and lonely journey.

"But what do _you_ want?" the ginger warrior asked, turning to face me.

The deep affection shining in my mate's green eyes made the decision an easy one. "Squirrelflight... I want you to come with me. I want you by my side... I don't know what would I do without you."

"Perish, most likely," she purred, brushing her pelt to mine before bounding off with her tail curled up to join Firestar at the head of the patrol.


	15. Notice

Hi all who may read this.

I've been receiving several messages asking when will I continue the story, if I ever will. Unfortunately, as you can see from the lack of updates in the last seven months, it is highly unlikely that I will finish it. The main reason is that I have lost the interest in writing fanfic (and in Warriors in general) a long time ago; I am now nearly 18 and my priorities and interests have changed. Another reason is that I have much less free time than a year ago due to school workload.

Sorry for letting everyone down; in any case, I hope you enjoyed what I wrote so far. I will not delete the story (like so many people do after getting bored of their stories); rather leave it here so everyone could read and re-read it.

I would like to thank for all the kind reviews and feedback. It was very nice to know that I managed to create something so many people appreciate.

Kind regards,  
WaitingForSpring 


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